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US EPA Becomes First Federal Agency to Go 100% Green

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has closed a deal making it the first federal agency to purchase renewable energy, or “green power,” equivalent to 100 percent of its annual electricity needs. The agency signed a contract with 3 Phases Energy Services to purchase more than 100 million kilowatt hours (kWh) in renewable energy certificates, effective Sept. 1. The arrangement extends annual green-power purchases to more than 190 EPA facilities nationwide. This green-power purchase brings the agency total to nearly 300 million kWh per year, which is equivalent to 100 percent of the electricity EPA uses nationwide annually. It is enough electricity to power 27,970 homes for a year. “At EPA, we don’t just talk the talk, we walk the walk,” 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.” The green power purchasing program began in 1999, when EPA’s Region 9 laboratory, in Richmond, Calif., became the first federal facility to purchase green power equal to its total annual electricity consumption. Since then, the program has steadily expanded to offset demand for conventional […]

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New England to Receive First Fuel Cell Bus

This spring, the Hartford, Connecticut region will receive New England’s first zero-emission hybrid electric fuel cell bus. “Through Congressman Larson’s diligent efforts and the work of our other partners, the Greater Hartford Transit district is pleased to be the recipient of a Federal Transit Administration (FTA) grant to fund New England’s first fuel cell bus,” said Vicki Shotland, Greater Hartford Transit District executive director. The $2.9 million FTA grant will pay for the bus and the construction of the infrastructure to support future fuel cell transportation projects in Greater Hartford. “The State’s commitment to this project will help Connecticut retain its dominance in the fuel cell industry,” commented Congressman John Larson. “With the high price of gas and uncertainty in the Middle East, we need to transition from a petro economy to a hydrogen economy. This project is the first step towards a fleet of fuel cell buses and a commercially viable product that will allow consumers to purchase a fuel cell vehicle.” Fuel cell buses are clean, quiet, electrically propelled vehicles that emit only water vapor from the tailpipe. This bus will feature a PureMotion” 120 kW fuel cell power system built in Connecticut by UTC Power (South Windsor, […]

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