Utah Towns Named Nation’s First Green Power Community
More than music was onstage Saturday at the annual Moab Folk Festival at the ball field in this Utah town. A community of four Utah towns, population about 9,000, has been recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as the nation’s first Green Power Community.
Last fall, 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.
Moab was officially recognized by the EPA’s Green Power Partnership at the Annual Moab Folk Festival in August. Matt Clouse, director of the EPA’s Green Power Partnership, presented the Mayor of the City of Moab and the Mayor of Castle Valley with the award.
“We are honored and excited to be first in the nation as a green power community,”said 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 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. The Moab Area Community is purchasing green power generated from wind power.
By having four percent of the Moab Area Community’s electricity offset by green power, the EPA estimates the environmental benefit is equivalent to avoiding the generation of four million pounds of carbon dioxide or planting roughly 750 acres of trees.
Provided by the Environmental News Service.
