In addition, the vast majority of energy at over 30 regional and laboratory facilities will come from sustainable sources.
"America's energy supply tomorrow requires action today," said EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson. "For 35 years, EPA has been greening our nation's landscape. By committing to alternative, renewable power sources, the agency is meeting the President's call to green our nation's energy."
EPA has contracted to purchase nearly 260 million kilowatt hours of green power each year for 10 of the agency's offices and 21 laboratories, which places the agency among the top three green-power consumers in the country. Only the U.S. Air Force and Whole Foods Markets buy more green power, the EPA says.
Energy for the EPA Green Power Purchase Program include sources such as biogas (methane from landfills), biomass (plant-derived material), geothermal, and wind.
Depending on location, the agency may buy green-power electricity from the local supplier, or purchase "green tags." These tags allow EPA to support green-power production in a distant location. The idea is to displace traditional generation, stoke the rise of alternate energy sources and short-circuit the pressure for new power plants, according to the EPA.
Since 1999, EPA's commitment to green power has grown to cover approximately 88 percent of the agency's national electrical consumption.
