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Catholic and American University Teaching 'Green' by Example - Two D.C. Universities Win EPA's Green Power Challenge

Release Date: 04/20/2009
Contact Information: Bonnie Smith, 215-814-5543, smith.bonnie@epa.gov

PHILADELPHIA (April 20, 2009) - Catholic University of America and American University, both in Washington, D.C are winners of the EPA's 2008-2009 Green Power College and University Challenge, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today.

By purchasing more than 13 million kilowatt-hours of green power, the Catholic University has achieved the equivalent impact of reducing the carbon dioxide emissions of nearly 2,000 passenger cars annually. EPA estimates that American University’s purchase of 11 million kilowatt-hours of green power has the equivalent impact of reducing the carbon dioxide emissions of more than 1,000 passenger cars annually.

"Choosing green power helps all of us breathe cleaner, healthier cleaner air," said William C. Early, acting regional administrator for the EPA’s mid-Atlantic region. "American University and Catholic University are demonstrating the responsibility that's needed to collectively move toward a clean energy future."

For three years running, EPA’s Green Power Partnership has tracked and recognized the collegiate athletic conferences with the highest combined green power purchases in the nation. The partnership encourages organizations to buy green power as a way to reduce the environmental impacts associated with traditional fossil fuel-based electricity use.

This year's challenge included 44 competing institutions representing 22 different conferences nationwide, collectively purchasing more than 1 billion kWh of green power.

This has the equivalent environmental impact of avoiding the CO2 emissions of more than 136,000 passenger cars.

EPA is also kicking-off of the 2009-2010 Green Power Challenge this week. It will run until the spring of 2010.

EPA ranks collegiate athletic conferences by the total amount of green power bought by their member schools. Each school in the conference has to qualify as an EPA Green Power partner and each conference has to collectively purchase at least 10 million kWh of green power.

For more information about this year's winners of EPA's College and University Green Power Challenge see: https://www.epa.gov/greenpower/initiatives/cu_challenge.htm .