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EPA Recognizes BNY Mellon and Carnegie Mellon University as Leaders in Purchasing Green Power

Release Date: 10/20/2010
Contact Information: Contact: Bonnie Smith, EPA, [email protected], 215-814-5543; Jocelyn Duffy, CMU, [email protected], 412-268-9982; Lane Cigna, BNY Mellon, [email protected], 412-234-0575

PHILADELPHIA (October 20, 2010) -- Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Green Power Partnership is honoring BNY Mellon and Carnegie Mellon University as Green Power Partners for successfully using green power to help grow the nation’s voluntary green power market while also reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

BNY Mellon and Carnegie Mellon University are two of only ten organizations in the nation receiving a Leadership Award for Green Power Purchasing. These leaders are purchasing the majority of their electricity from green power through a utility green-pricing program, a competitive green marketer, or a renewable energy certificate (REC) supplier. A REC is a financial product proving that electricity was generated from a renewable resource.

Green power is electricity produced from solar, wind, geothermal, biogas, biomass, and low-impact small hydroelectric sources. It’s a renewable energy resource that provides the highest environmental benefit.

BNY Mellon is currently purchasing nearly 230 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of green power annually, supplying more than 75 percent of its electricity. BNY Mellon is buying a utility green power product and RECs from NextEra Energy Resources and Pepco Energy Services.

BNY Mellon’s green power purchases are equivalent to avoiding the carbon dioxide emissions of nearly 32,000 passenger vehicles per year, or enough electricity power more than 20,000 average American homes annually.

Carnegie Mellon University is currently purchasing nearly 87 million kilowatt-hours of green power annually, supplying 75 percent of its electricity. The University is buying RECs from Community Energy and Constellation NewEnergy and generates solar on-site.

Carnegie Mellon University’s current green power purchases are equivalent to avoiding the carbon dioxide emissions of nearly 12,000 passenger vehicles per year, or enough electricity for nearly 8,000 average American homes each year.

EPA is presenting the 2010 Green Power Leadership Awards recognizing 18 winners during the tenth annual Green Power Leadership Awards Banquet in Portland, Ore. Awards are given in four categories: Green Power Purchasing; On-site Generation; Partner of the Year; and Green Power Community of the Year.

EPA will present the awards at the Renewable Energy Markets Conference. EPA co-sponsors the Green Power Leadership Awards in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Energy and the non-profit Center for Resource Solutions.

Through the Green Power Partnership, EPA works with nearly 1,300 partner organizations to voluntarily purchase green power to reduce the environmental impacts of conventional electricity use.

More information on EPA’s Green Power Leadership Award Winners and a video of each of the winning green power programs: https://www.epa.gov/greenpower/awards/winners.htm.