For the first time, the Environmental Protection Agency’s Green Power Partnership recognized 20 partners for generating the most green electricity on site. Combined, the top 20 partners are generating and consuming more than 736 million kilowatt hours (kWh) of on-site green power annually, says EPA in a recent press statement. This is equivalent to the electricity needed to power more than 61,000 American homes annually. The partners’ contributions are helping to expand America’s renewable energy portfolio, improve the nation’s energy security, and reduce their organizations’ greenhouse gas emissions.

“These companies are leading a nationwide move to the clean energy economy, one that can create million of jobs, reduce our dependence on foreign oil, and protect against global climate change,” said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. “Our Green Power Partnership leaders are setting the standard for our clean energy future.”

The top five partners from the list of 20 — Kimberly-Clark Corporation, Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts, City of San Diego, San Jose/Santa Clara Water Pollution Control Plant (Calif.), and CalPortland — consumed and generated the greatest amount of on-site green power. By using more than 535 million kWh of on-site green power, these partners prevented carbon dioxide emissions equivalent to the emissions from more than 70,000 passenger vehicles per year.

Green power is generated from renewable resources such as solar, wind, geothermal, biomass, biogas and low-impact hydropower. On-site green power is deployed directly at energy users’ facilities rather than at central power plants. Green power electricity generates less pollution than conventional power and produces no net increase in greenhouse gas emissions.

EPA’s Green Power Partnership works with more than 1,100 partner organizations to voluntarily purchase green power to reduce the environmental impacts of conventional electricity use.

Overall, the partners are buying more than 16 billion kWh of green power annually, equivalent to the carbon dioxide emissions from electricity use of more than 1.6 million American homes.

EPA is also updating its other top partner lists, including its National Top 50 Purchasers list. Intel Corporation, PepsiCo, Whole Foods Market, Kohl’s Department Stores, and Dell Inc. continue to rank in the top five overall of green power purchasers.

For more information on top 20 on-site users of green power, visithttp://www.epa.gov/greenpower/toplists/top20onsite.htm.

For more information on EPA’s Green Power Partnership, visithttp://www.epa.gov/greenpower.