Kansas Ag Connection - QTS Realty Trust 1 of 12 National EPA Green Power Awardees

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QTS Realty Trust 1 of 12 National EPA Green Power Awardees
Kansas Ag Connection - 10/26/2020

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced QTS Realty Trust (QTS) of Overland Park as one of 12 top Green Power Partners in the 20th annual Green Power Leadership Awards program. Other companies across the country recognized included Aldi, Equinix, Fifth Third Bank, Lundberg Family Farms, Microsoft, St. Louis University, and Target Corporation.

"The 2020 Green Power Leadership Award winners are leaders in spurring innovation and promoting growth in the U.S. renewable energy market," said Anne L. Austin, principal deputy assistant administrator of EPA's Office of Air and Radiation. "We commend their efforts, which help protect our environment and improve our air quality."

QTS continues to rapidly increase renewable electricity procurement and currently uses more than 412 million kilowatt hours (kWh) of green power. The realty trust used an innovative procurement model, featuring a partnership with an investment bank to purchase a portion of the power from a financed project.

Green Power Leaders contribute to the growth of the green power market in the United States and demonstrate leadership by implementing best market practices. Green power is electricity generated from renewable energy resources that offer the greatest environmental benefit, such as solar, wind, low-impact hydropower, and some forms of biomass. This year's 12 recipients are using approximately 11.7 billion kWh of green power, enough to power nearly 1.1 million average American homes for a year.

EPA established the Green Power Partnership (GPP) in 2001 to protect human health and the environment by increasing organizations' voluntary green power use to advance the American market for green power and development of those resources. The GPP provides a framework that includes credible usage benchmarks, market information, technical assistance, and public recognition to companies and other organizations that use green power. As of Dec. 31, 2019, over 1,400 EPA Green Power Partners are collectively using over 61 billion kWh of green power annually, which is equivalent to the annual electricity use of nearly 5.6 million average American homes.

The Green Power Leadership Awards are announced at the Renewable Energy Markets Conference. EPA is a co-organizing sponsor of the conference.

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