EPA Honors Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens with A Green Power Leadership Award
For Immediate Release: Tues., Sept. 17
Contact: Joe Reed | Director of Marketing and Communications
412-622-6915, ext. 3801 | jreed@phipps.conservatory.org
EPA Honors Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens with A Green Power Leadership Award
Impact in Community Gains Recognition with Nomination
Pittsburgh, PA – Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens has received a 2024 Green Power Leadership Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). For more than 20 years, EPA’s annual Green Power Leadership Awards have recognized America’s leading green power users for their commitment to using renewable electricity and advancing the nation’s green power market. EPA presented Phipps Conservatory with a Green Power Leadership Award at the 2024 Renewable Energy Markets Conference on September 17, 2024.
EPA recognizes Green Power Partners like Phipps Conservatory with a Green Power Leadership Award for their on- and off-site green power procurement strategy. Currently 100% of electricity needs at Phipps are met by utilizing green power either purchased or generated directly on campus. Three of Phipps’ buildings are net-positive energy, meaning they generate more electricity than they use, and plans have begun to electrify the rest of campus, eliminating fossil fuels. In doing so, their nearly 500,000 annual visitors can learn about green power while connecting to nature.
“We are honored to gain recognition from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for our many efforts involving green power,” said Phipps President and CEO Richard Piacentini. “We put the health of the planet at the forefront of everything we do and hope to continue inspiring others to realize they can do the same.”
To continue leading by example in the green power marketplace, Phipps developed the Make the Switch at Phipps! green power drive where a green energy provider helps visitors switch to green power at their homes. Anybody that chooses 100% renewable energy receives a free one-year family membership to Phipps. Since its inception, over 6,900 households have participated, mitigating at least 56,500 tons of CO2 emissions. In addition, Phipps established The Climate Toolkit as a collaborative opportunity for museums looking to aggressively address climate change and transform the cultural institution landscape to ensure this energy efficiency and green energy use.
Green power is electricity generated from environmentally preferable renewable resources, such as wind, solar, geothermal, biogas, eligible biomass, and low-impact hydro. Using green power helps advance the American green power market, which accelerates the development of these resources in the United States.
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About Phipps: Founded in 1893, Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens in Pittsburgh, PA is a globally recognized green leader with a mission to inspire and educate all with the beauty and importance of plants; to advance sustainability and promote human and environmental well-being through action and research; and to celebrate its historic glasshouse. Encompassing 15 acres including a historic 14-room glasshouse, 23 distinct indoor and outdoor gardens and industry-leading sustainable architecture and operations, Phipps attracts more than half a million visitors annually from around the world. Learn more at phipps.conservatory.org.
About EPA’s Green Power Partnership
The Green Power Partnership is a voluntary program that helps increase green power use among U.S. organizations to advance the American market for green power and development of those sources as a way to reduce air pollution and other environmental impacts associated with electricity use. In 2022, the Partnership had nearly 700 Partners voluntarily using nearly 95 billion kilowatt-hours of green power annually. Partners include a wide variety of leading organizations such as Fortune 500® companies; small and medium sized businesses; local, state, and federal governments; and colleges and universities. For additional information, please visit www.epa.gov/greenpower.
About the Green Power Leadership Awards
EPA co-sponsors the annual Green Power Leadership Awards with the Center for Resource Solutions. For more than 20 years, the Green Power Leadership Awards have allowed EPA to recognize winners that demonstrate leadership in and impact on the green power marketplace. Through these awards, EPA recognizes exceptional achievements among Green Power Partners who distinguish themselves through green power procurement, community impact, innovation, communication, transparency, and overall influence on the green power market. The ceremony takes place at the Renewable Energy Markets Conference. This year’s four recipients are using more than 13.7 billion kWh of green power—enough to power nearly 1.3 million average American homes for a year. For additional information please visit www.epa.gov/greenpower/green-power-leadership-awards.
