The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced its winners of the 12th annual Green Power Leadership Awards on Monday, stating that the 24 Green Power Partners and three suppliers were selected for their achievements in advancing the nation's renewable electricity market. Here are the details.
* The EPA works through its Green Power Partnership with partner organizations -- over half of which are small businesses and nonprofits -- to reduce the impacts of conventional electricity use by voluntarily using green power.
* Green Power Partnership members receive EPA advice, tools and resources, publicity and recognition from the EPA, the agency stated.
* Green power is defined by the EPA as electricity generated from renewable resources such as solar, wind, geothermal, biogas and low-impact hydro.
* The winners were selected from more than 1,300 partner organizations, according to the EPA.
* Intel Corporation, Kohl's Department Stores, Staples, and Whole Foods Market won the first-ever Sustained Excellence in Green Power award.
* The Green Power Partner of the Year award went to the city of Austin, Texas; Hilton Worldwide; Microsoft Corporation; and the University of Oaklahoma.
* Green Power Community of the Year honorees were Beaverton, Ore., and Oak Park, Ill. Oak Park also won the community challenge for achieving the highest green power percentage of total electricity use at 92 percent, the EPA reported.
* Awarded for their Green Power Purchasing were American University; Bloomberg L.P.; City of Philadelphia, Pa; Hobart and William Smith Colleges; Kettle Foods; Lockheed Martin; McDonald's USA, LLC; MOM's Organic Market; NYSE Euronext; Quinnipiac University; TD Bank; and The North Face.
* On-Site Generation winners were Coca-Cola Refreshments and Zotos International, Inc.
* Green Power Suppliers of the Year were Renewable Choice Energy and Sterling Planet.
* The award for Innovative Green Power Program of the Year went to Wellesley Municipal Light Plant.
* Washington, D.C., won the second annual Green Power Community Challenge award for using the most green power annually. The city used more than one billion kilowatt-hours, the EPA stated.
* 35 EPA Green Power Communities participated in the Green Power Community Challenge, collectively using nearly 5 billion kWh of green power annually and resuding greenhouse gas emissions equal to the carbon dioxide emissions from annual electricity use of more than 426,000 homes.
* EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson stated that the Green Power Leadership Awards winners "have not only demonstrated commendable civic leadership in their efforts to use renewable energy sources, they've also helped to reduce our carbon footprint and cut back on pollution -- all while supporting America's renewable energy industry."
