The Green Power Partnership is a voluntary EPA program consisting of organizations that are significantly developing their green power sources.

According to the EPA, green power is electricity produced from a subset of renewable resources such as solar, wind, geothermal, biomass and lowimpact hydro. These resources generate a net zero increase in greenhouse gas emissions. The program offers expert advice, technical support, tools and resources to these power purchasers so that they may continue to improve their environmental performance, reduce their carbon footprint and convey their leadership to stakeholders. These top organizations are leading the wave of energy independence by meeting the climate challenges head-on and generating clean energy. If your curiosity is peaked, take a look at the top 10 companies generating and utilizing the most on-site green power in the nation:

1. Kimberly-Clark Corporation

Located in Dallas, TX and specializing in consumer products, Kimberly- Clark generates 7% of total on-site electricity from bio-mass green power. K-C’s commitment to reducing energy use has scored them the #1 spot on the G List. This energy management strategy implements practices such as utilizing waste from their pulp manufacturing process to generate 220 million kilowatt hours of renewable energy annually. The corporation has also partnered with the EPA Landfill Methane Outreach Program to promote using methane from landfills for fossil fuels. Their partnership with Energy Star has also set them up to be a leader in improving competitiveness through setting goals, measuring energy use, tracking savings and recognizing improvements. Overall their efforts include evaluating energy suppliers, negotiating supply contracts, purchasing energy, passing alternative energy projects, energy efficiency audits and implementing technical energy solutions by combining heat and power technology.

2. Los Angeles County Sanitation District  

California’s leading organization in on-site green power generation uses 54% of their total on-site electricity from biogas, receiving our #2 spot on our list. These districts have played a significant role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and are committed to turning waste into energy, reclaimed water and recyclables. The districts convert every feasible biogas resource into energy for on-site usage, as well as to export into the local power grid. Some of the ongoing projects include processing landfill gas into compressed natural gas for use as an alternative fuel, converting the districts own transfer trucks to use alternative fuel, purchasing compressed natural gas vehicles and constructing compressed natural gas fueling facilities at the various district locations.

3. City of San Diego, CA

This sunny town derives 27% of their total on-site electricity usage from small-hydro, solar and biomass green power. As a Green Power Leadership award winner, San Diego has come to pursue energy independence by managing energy use, conservation, energy efficiency enhancement in existing city facilities through major remodels, self generation and ensuring efficiency in newly built facilities. The city’s commitment to producing 50 megawatts of renewable energy in San Diego within the next decade has been jumpstarted with Point Loma’s Waste Water Treatment Plant gas utilization facility. The facility is powered by 4.57 megawatts of methane gas and employs a hydroelectric facility producing yet another 1.35 MW of power, which is generated from treated sewage flow exiting into the ocean. This is the first time a diesel generator has been converted into a peaking unit utilizing digester gas, from the plant’s 1.2 MW generator peaking unit that runs on 80 percent digester gas and 20% diesel fuel. The city also captures methane and landfill gas to produce 6.4 MW of electricity, and has 13 photovoltaic systems installed in city facilities. San Diego generates more than 69 million kWh of renewable power annually and has become a model city for both energy conservation and generation.

4. San Jose/Santa Clara Water Pollution Control Plant

The SJ/SC Water Pollution Control Plant is living up to its mission to work with the community to conserve resources and safeguard the environment for future generations. The Water Pollution Control Plant uses 56% of their total on-site electricity from biogas green power. San Jose is creeping up towards being the nation’s first energy independent city. Plans are being negotiated to push through America’s only organicsto- energy bio-gas facility, which will use food-waste as well as the waste from the municipal solid-waste system to make bio-gas. This plan is part of San Jose’s Green Vision set of goals that incorporates strategies to address waste generation, solid waste facilities and waste processing technologies. According to the city’s Environmental Services Department, the purpose of this transition to biogas is to reduce the per capita energy use by 50% and extricate the second half of that from renewable sources. While the city is shooting for the stars, it has already landed far beyond the expectations and requirements of the EPA Green Power Partnership. The plant is one of the largest advanced wastewater treatment facilities in California. Most of the treated water is discharged as fresh water into the San Francisco Bay and about 10% is recycled through pipelines for landscaping, agricultural irrigation, and industrial needs of the area. The city also uses Alternative Fuel Vehicles for transportation.

5. CalPortland

CalPortland, a nationwide cement company, is an industry leader in energy conservation with 11% of their total on-site electricity use being generated from wind power. The company is part of the Pew Center on Global Climate Change Business Environmental Leadership Council and is recognized for establishing and meeting greenhouse gas emission reductions targets, and for investing in more efficient products, technologies and practices. The EPA states that the company’s green power usage of 50 million kWh is equivalent to avoiding the carbon dioxide emissions of nearly 7,000 passenger vehicles per year. CalPortland’s production of onsite wind power beats out all the Green Power Partnership projects. The annual amount of power generation is currently the largest green power production specializing in wind as renewable energy.

6. Nassau County, NY

This county in Long Island generates roughly 30 million kWh per year of green energy, which accounts for 15% of their overall energy usage. This energy is harnessed from digester gas, which is a by-product of Nassau’s wastewater treatment plants. In addition to producing its own renewable energy, Nassau County purchases another 15% of its energy from wind power. That number will increase to 25% by 2010. These programs are among many initiated under Nassau’s comprehensive Energy Action Plan. Nassau is home to America’s second largest (Los Angeles County ranks first) 100% compressed natural gas bus fleet, as well as 100 environmentally friendly government vehicles, and the green fuel filling stations to keep them going. Nassau County’s Green Cleaning Program ensures that only earth friendly cleaning products are used to keep every county building sparkling. Considerable energy efficiency remodeling was done in seven major county buildings which saves 12,000 megawatts annually as well as $1.4 million in taxpayer dollars on energy costs.

7. BMW Manufacturing Co. (Greer, SC Facilities)

BMW received the 2003 Green Power Leadership Award for its efforts in reclaiming gas from the Palmetto Landfill in South Carolina to generate power. The company pipes gas from the landfill to the manufacturing plant to power four gas turbines. The result is 4.3 MW of electricity for the factory – 19% of its annual energy usage, as well as an ample hot water supply. BMW has taken numerous measures to take care of the environment, including inside the plant, out on its campus, and through community outreach.

Inside the plant, BMW re-evaluated and streamlined the lighting scheme to save energy costs, replaced Styrofoam with PLA (a biodegradable material made from renewable resources) and recycles almost 100% of scrap materials. Additionally, they use a technique called “color blocking” – grouping vehicles that will be painted the same color – which cuts down the number of times the paint lines need to be cleaned.

BMW’s South Carolina campus is home to a butterfly garden and numerous handmade birdhouses in an effort to preserve local wildlife. BMW contributes to the National Wildlife Federation, Paris Mountain State Park and the Nature Conservancy and is a member of the South Carolina Environmental Excellence Program, the Dow Jones Sustainability Group Index, and the Global Compact of the United Nations. Finally, BMW Manufacturing Co. was one of the first car manufacturing plants in the U.S. to attain ISO 14001 Certification, which it received in 1998. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) awards this status to companies that exercise extensive control and awareness regarding their impact on the environment. This certification must be independently audited every three years, and BMW has maintained this prestigious status steadily since 1998.

8. City of San Fransico, CA

San Francisco runs over 2 MW of photovoltaic projects throughout the city and county which account for 3% of its energy usage. Photovoltaics (PVs) are more commonly known as solar cells and convert sunlight into DC electricity. PVs can be arranged strategically to power motors, charge batteries and more. With the right equipment, PVs can also produce AC electricity which can be connected to the utility grid. In May 2009, Mayor Gavin Newsom signed off on the construction of 25,000 new solar cells. Once this project is completed in 2010, not only will it be California’s biggest PV setup, but it will also increase San Francisco’s solar energy output to 7 MW.

This is by no means the city’s only green project. In 2001, then- Mayor Willie Brown opened the Mayor’s Energy Conservation Account, which has funneled $25 million towards energy efficient measures in San Francisco buildings and provisions. The city has retrofitted the lighting in the Moscone Convention Center and SF General Hospital, creating savings of 800 and 700 kW respectively.

The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) which handles the city and county energy projects, has placed 25 monitoring stations throughout the San Francisco area. The stations track wind speed and direction as well as solar resources. This information is used to harness additional renewable energy.

Finally, this past March marked the official launch of San Francisco’s first 50 LED streetlights, which last two to three times as long as conventional sodium streetlamp bulbs and are roughly 50% more energy efficient.

9. Kohl’s Department Stores

This retail company, based in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin is setting a great green example. Kohl’s received the Green Power Leadership Award in 2007 and 2008 for their environmentally friendly efforts. The retail chain is in the process of installing solar power in 100 stores in 6 states; 67 have been activated thus far. Once complete, the rooftop solar panels will generate 25 MW, more than the five biggest PV systems in the U.S. combined. Kohl’s currently generates 2% of its own power, so that number will increase tremendously with the completion of the PV project. So far, 220 Kohl’s stores have earned the ENERGY STAR label, which is the largest group of retail stores to do so. 63 of Kohl’s stores are environmentally friendly, and were modeled after the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Green Building Rating System) prototype. Three Kohl’s stores have been LEED certified so far; the rest will be certified later this year.

Kohl’s eco-friendliness doesn’t stop there. 36% of their inbound transportation arrives by train, which is three times cleaner than trucking. Stores are lit with high-efficiency lighting, and not only does Kohl’s recycle diligently, but many of their products are made partially or entirely of recycled content. Kohl’s gift boxes are made of 100% recycled materials and their shopping bags are 10-30% recycled content. Kohl’s also strips the polyethylene bags off their shipments and sends them back to be recycled into plastic pellets, which are then used to make Kohl’s garbage cans, shipping totes, and more. I could go on all day about Kohl’s environmental measures, but I’ll leave you with the fact that they bought 600,990,000 kWh of renewable energy credits from wind, biomass, and solar sources as of April 2009.

10. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (California & Texas Facilities)

Wal-Mart has set a goal for itself to eventually use 100% renewable energy. As part of this effort, Wal-Mart has purchased wind power from a wind farm in Notrees, Texas. It will generate 226 million kWh of renewable energy for Wal-Mart annually which will provide nearly 15% of the total energy for 350 Texas Wal-Mart stores and facilities. Using wind power will reduce Wal-Mart’s carbon dioxide emissions by 139,00 metric tons per year. That’s equivalent to the amount that 18,000 houses or 25,000 cars emit annually.

On the West Coast, 10-20 California Wal-Mart stores are undergoing solar panel installation to be completed before the end of 2010. 18 California stores are currently equipped with solar panels which contribute to Wal-Mart ‘s 1% of on-site electricity use. These efforts will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 22,500 metric tons annually, in addition to generating up to 32 million kWh of green energy – enough to power 2,600 homes for a year. This will provide 20-30% of each Wal- Mart location’s total electricity.