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+ Feedback | EPA honors Moab Area Community as Nation’s First Green Power Community
EDITORS: PHOTO OP SATURDAY Contact: Wendy Chipp, 303-312-6603
Moab, Utah -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today that Utah’s Greater Moab Community will be recognized this weekend as the nation’s first Green Power Community. In August 2004, the City of Moab, Castle Valley, Pack Creek Ranch, and Spanish Valley, Utah became the first community in the nation to meet and exceed the EPA Green Power Partnership’s minimum benchmark for green power usage with voluntary purchases.
“The U.S. EPA is delighted to recognize the Moab Area Community as the first Green Power Community for pioneering a collaborative and voluntary effort between businesses and residents to increase the areas’ green power usage,” said EPA Regional Administrator Robbie Roberts. “By choosing green power, the Moab community members are demonstrating environmental leadership by supporting new, clean, renewable power facilities that generate electricity with less air pollution and no net increases in greenhouse gas emissions.”
Green Power Communities are a new type of Partner for EPA’s Green Power Partnership, which provides assistance and recognition to organizations that demonstrate environmental leadership by choosing green power. Green Power Communities are recognized by EPA’s Green Power Partnership for having area homes, businesses, organizations and local governments voluntarily commit to switch a portion of their collective electric power usage to green power through individual and organizational purchases.
Moab will be officially recognized by the EPA’s Green Power Partnership on Saturday, Nov. 6 at the Annual Moab Folk Festival. During a public ceremony, Matt Clouse, director of the EPA’s Green Power Partnership, will present the Mayor of the City of Moab and the Mayor of Castle Valley with plaques and a banner to recognize this milestone.
By having 4 percent of the Moab Area Community’s electricity offset by green power, EPA estimates the environmental benefit is equivalent to avoiding the generation of 4 million pounds of carbon dioxide or planting roughly 750 acres of trees.
“We are honored and excited to be ‘first in the nation’ as a green power community,” commented Moab Mayor David Sakrison. “This designation clearly symbolizes our community’s commitment to both the development of renewable energy technologies and protecting our environment.” The City of Moab’s municipal government was recognized by the EPA and the U.S. Department of Energy in 2003 with a Green Power Leadership Award for its exemplary purchase of green power.
"Moab's leadership has set the stage for other communities," said Sarah Wright executive director of Utah Clean Energy. "We hope the enthusiasm and dedication of the Moab community will spread."
"To become the first EPA-designated Green Power Community in the nation is a testimony to environmental ethic of this wonderful town," said Rich Walje, Utah Power executive vice president. "It was the efforts of Mayor Dave Sakrison and other Moab leaders that made this campaign a real success."
The green power campaign in the Greater Moab Area was led by the Moab Green Power Steering Committee, which is made up of citizens, business leaders, and public officials and was aided by Utah Clean Energy and Utah Power.
Green power is electricity generated from renewable energy sources - wind, solar, geothermal, eligible biomass and eligible hydropower. The Moab Area Community is purchasing green power generated from wind power.
Photo opportunities will be available at the event on Saturday, Nov. 6, 2004 at 3:30 p.m. during the recognition ceremony. The event will take place at Moab Folk Festival Synergy Stage, Moab Ball Field, intersection of Center Street and 200 East, Moab, UT.
More information about the Green Power Partnership is available at http://www.epa.gov/greenpower/. The media contact for the U.S. EPA’s Green Power Partnership is Matt Clouse, 202.343.9004.
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