Green Power Partnership
Product and Resource Eligibility
Partners have the flexibility to use any of the following types of green power products in meeting EPA usage requirements:
- Renewable energy certificates (RECs)
- On-site power generation from eligible renewable resources
- Utility products delivered through the grid
- Any combination of the above
The eligible renewable energy content of utility products can vary. EPA only recognizes the eligible renewable energy portion of a product toward the usage requirement.
EPA recommends that organizations purchase certified and verified green power products as a matter of best practice. Product certification and verification ensures the quality of the product's environmental attributes.
Green power is a subset of renewable energy and represents those renewable energy resources and technologies that provide the highest environmental benefit. Organizations often use green power for its environmental and greenhouse gas reduction benefits. Green power resources produce electricity with zero anthropogenic (human-caused) emissions and have a superior environmental profile compared to conventional power generation. EPA requires that green power sources must also have been built within the last 15 years in order to support new renewable energy development.
The following renewable resources are eligible in meeting EPA's usage requirements:
- Solar photovoltaic (PV)
- Eligible hydroelectric
- Eligible biomass
- Co-firing of eligible forms of biomass with non-renewables is accepted under certain conditions
- Biodiesel (B100)
- Fuel cells—using the above eligible fuels