The World Champion Philadelphia Phillies, the University of Pennsylvania, and ING based out of West Chester, Pa. are among the 16 national winners of the Green Power Leadership Awards- - our World Series in green power.

"We need energy users and energy producers to tap into power generated from renewable resources - - solar, wind, geothermal, biogas, biomass and low-impact hydro," said Donald S. Welsh, mid-Atlantic regional administrator. "These leaders are making a commitment to a sustainable energy future and helping accelerate renewable energy capacity nationwide."

Purchases from this year's 16 Green Power Leadership award winners' amounts to nearly 5 billion kilowatt-hours of green power annually, which is the equivalent amount of electricity needed to power more than 460,000 average American households each year. EPA also estimates that the combined environmental impact of these leading purchasers will avoid the equivalent amount of carbon dioxide emissions of more than 640,000 vehicles each year.

The Philadelphia Phillies and ING Bank were named as two of the nine national winners of the 2008 Green Power Purchaser Award. The award recognizes partners who distinguish themselves by purchasing green power from utility green-pricing programs, competitive green marketers, or renewable energy certificate suppliers.

The Philadelphia Phillies purchase green power for 100 percent of the electricity at Citizens Bank Park. The Phillies' green power purchase of 20 million kWh is equivalent to avoiding the carbon dioxide emissions of nearly 3,000 passenger vehicles per year, or is the equivalent amount of electricity needed to power nearly 2,000 average American homes annually.

ING purchases 100 percent of its electricity nationwide from green power. ING's current green power purchase of more than 75 million kWh is equivalent to avoiding the carbon dioxide emissions of nearly 10,000 passenger vehicles per year, or is the equivalent amount of electricity needed to power more than 7,000 average American homes annually.The University of Pennsylvania is the recipient of one of five national 2008 Green Power Partners of the Year Award. The award recognizes partners who distinguish themselves through their purchase, leadership, overall strategy, and impact on the green power market.

The University purchases nearly 50 percent of its electricity from green power. Its current green power purchase of nearly 193 million kWh is equivalent to avoiding the carbon dioxide emissions of more than 25,000 passenger vehicles per year, or is the equivalent amount of electricity needed to power more than 18,000 average American homes annually.

The Green Power Partnership is a voluntary program that encourages organizations to buy green power to reduce the environmental impacts associated with conventional electricity.

EPA organizes the Green Power Leadership Awards with the U.S. Department of Energy and the Center for Resource Solutions. The eighth annual awards were presented today at the National Renewable Energy Marketing Conference in Denver, Co.

DOE recognizes exceptional leadership among green power market suppliers, such as utilities and renewable energy certificate marketers. The Center for Resource Solutions recognizes exceptional individual leadership contributing to overall market development. EPA focuses on buyers of green power.

For more information, visit EPA’s Green Power Partnership webpage.

10/31/2008