Washington, D.C.- Because of increasing demand for large-scale green power purchases, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Green Power Partnership members will raise the bar to maximize environmental benefits of purchasing green power from renewable sources of energy. The program will now require partners to purchase 100 percent "new renewables" in meeting their minimum purchase requirements for membership.

"Our nation is moving toward a clean, secure energy future under President Bush's leadership by jumping off the treadmill of foreign energy dependency," said EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson. "Voluntarily switching to renewable energy sources, EPA's environmental partners are showing that it is easy - and rewarding - being green."

The more than 650 Green Power Partners are purchasing enough clean, renewable energy to power over 400,000 American homes each year. Green power is electricity generated from environmentally preferable renewable resources, such as solar, wind, geothermal, low-impact biomass, and low-impact hydro sources. New renewables are eligible renewable generating facilities placed in operation on or after January 1, 1997. The previous threshold for the minimum green power purchase benchmark was 50 percent "new" renewables.

The Green Power Partnership encourages organizations to voluntarily purchase green power as a way to reduce the environmental impacts associated with conventional electricity use. The Green Power Partnership is comprised of Fortune 500 companies, local, state, and federal governments, trade associations, and colleges and universities.

Information about EPA's Green Power Partnership http://www.epa.gov/greenpower.

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