LAWA PLACES 16TH AMONG GOVERNMENT AGENCIES IN ITS USE OF GREEN POWER

 (Los Angeles, California – April 6, 2014) Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) has placed 16th among the government agencies nationwide that participate in the Environmental Protection Agency’s Green Power Partnership (GPP).  The GPP is a voluntary program that encourages organizations to use green power as a way of reducing environmental impacts associated with the conventional use of electricity.

GPP members voluntarily purchase billions of kilowatt hours of green power annually, which is the equivalent of removing the emissions of hundreds of thousands of vehicles from the road each year.  The GPP defines green power as that part of renewable energy that provides the highest environmental benefit, including the use of solar, wind, geothermal, hydropower, biomass, and fuel cells.

“LAWA has actively embraced energy efficiency and conservation for almost 20 years,” said Robert Freeman, LAWA Environmental Services Division manager, and has remained on the EPA’s top local government partners list since 2002, a year after the partnership’s inception.”

In 2000, LAWA signed a 10-year agreement that allowed it to purchase green power from the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, and also established a 25 percent green-power utilization goal.  By purchasing green power, LAWA supports increased development of renewable energy sources, which reduces the burning of fossil fuels and the emission of air pollutants and greenhouse gases.

“Efficient energy use and purchasing green power are critical elements in developing and maintaining LAWA’s sustainable operations,” Freeman said.  “Green power is now about 13 percent of LAWA’s total electricity use at Los Angeles International and Van Nuys airports and consists of biomass and wind resources.”

Freeman added that LAWA is in the process of replacing its 50-year-old Central Utility Plant (CUP), which is scheduled to be completed in 2015.  When completed, it will provide lighting, heating, and cooling for all terminals and electricity at all gates with 25 percent improved efficiency.

LAWA’s latest ranking is based on its green power purchase of 28,002,570 kilowatt hours in 2012.  It has remained on the Top 20 list since its membership in the GPP.