CH2M HILL joins EPA Green Power Partnership

Denver — CH2M HILL joined the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Green Power Partnership, committing to purchase renewable energy to supply its operations. CH2M HILL said this commitment supports its belief that renewable power has an important role in the country’s air quality, climate change impacts and energy security.

In 2013, CH2M HILL purchased over 11 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of green power, of which 8.5 million kWh were used for its U.S. operations. That’s 17 percent of the firm’s overall electricity use globally and domestically. CH2M HILL plans to substantially increase its green power purchases in the future as part of a commitment to reduce its overall 2017 carbon footprint by 25 percent as compared to a 2012 baseline. 

“This is a huge honor and we are proud to be recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,” said Elisa Speranza, Chief Communications Officer and Executive Sponsor for Sustainability. “Using green power helps our organization become more sustainable, while also sending a message to others across the U.S. that supporting clean sources of electricity is a sound business decision and an important choice in reducing climate risk.”

The nearly 8.5 million kWh of green power purchased for CH2M HILL’s U.S.-based electricity use reduced the company’s 2013 U.S. carbon footprint by 7,900 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions. According to the U.S. EPA, this is equivalent to avoiding the greenhouse gas emissions from nearly 19 million miles driven by an average passenger vehicle, or avoiding the carbon dioxide emissions from the annual electricity use of about 1,100 homes.

CH2M HILL recognizes Renewable Choice Energy, based in Boulder, Colo., as its current supplier of green power instruments. Renewable Choice is a leading supplier of both renewable power and high-quality carbon offsets.

“EPA’s Green Power Partnership is excited to welcome CH2M HILL as a partner and applauds the company’s use of renewable electricity,” said Mollie Lemon, Program Manager of the Green Power Partnership. “In doing so, CH2M HILL is reducing its carbon footprint and helping advance the market for cleaner, renewable resources.”

Green power is electricity generated from environmentally preferable renewable resources, such as wind, solar, geothermal, eligible biogas, biomass and low-impact hydro. Using green power helps accelerate the development of new renewable energy capacity nationwide and helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the power sector.

Read more about CH2M HILL’s sustainability programs in the company’s Sustainability and Corporate Citizenship Report at www.ch2mhill.com/sr.