Using renewable energy reduces greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and air pollution associated with energy production and helps diversify the nation’s energy supply. EPA supports the growing green power market by purchasing and generating renewable energy in a variety of forms.

Solar panels at EPA’s Region 8 Office in Denver, Colorado

“Green power” is energy from indefinitely available resources that has zero or negligible GHG emissions associated with its generation. Sources of renewable energy include:

• Wind power
• Solar power
• Geothermal technologies
• Landfill gas
• Biomass power
• Wave, tidal, and small scale hydropower

EPA acquires green power in one of three ways:

• Onsite generation
• Delivered power
• Renewable energy certificates (RECs)

These purchases promote growth in the green power marketplace and help the Agency avoid greenhouse gas emissions associated with its energy consumption. In fact, EPA was the first major federal agency to purchase renewable energy equal to 100 percent of its estimated annual electricity use nationwide.

In this section:

• EPA’s Onsite Renewables
• EPA’s Green Power Purchases