The City of Tempe is now officially on the map as a major player in the green power game, recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a Green Power Partner. With an aggressive eye on sustainability, Tempe's place among the nation's leaders in the use of clean energy is a clear-cut fact.
"This recognition from the EPA is an honor,” Eric Iwersen, Tempe Transportation and Sustainability Director, told city officials. With a plan to totally eliminate air pollution and emissions, Tempe is making deliberate choices in its power sources to beef up the development of new, U.S.-based renewable electricity supplies.
Back in 2018, Tempe set the bar high with the City Council's goal to achieve carbon neutrality in municipal operations by 2050, aspiring to hit 100% renewable energy by 2035. The city has since been purchasing green energy diligently to meet this goal. Tempe's participation in Arizona Public Service (APS) Green Power Partners program, Green Connect, resulted in the purchase of roughly 12,700 megawatt-hours (MWh) of renewable energy in 2023 alone.
"We created the Green Power Partners program to help Arizona businesses and cities to more easily make the transition to 100% clean operations," APS Director of Customer Technology Kerri Carnes said. She emphasized the pivotal role the City of Tempe plays in this initiative. Through the partnership, the city is poised to switch its facilities to clean, renewable energy sources.
Using nearly 11.6 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of green power annually, Tempe's city operations—including buildings, lighting, and water treatment—are already running on 17% renewable energy. This energy commitment powers the equivalent of more than 1,000 average American homes each year and contributes to the larger goal of broadening the renewable energy market.
In an ongoing pledge to a greener future, the city has previously installed solar power across several facilities, totaling 4.14 MW through Power Purchase Agreements. Also, Tempe's City Council approved two additional Power Purchase Agreements with Salt River Project (SRP) that are projected to catapult the city's renewable energy use to 52% by 2026.
The EPA’s Green Power Partnership is a voluntary endeavor that motivates U.S. organizations to adopt green power. As a part of its framework, it champions the American market for green power and the reduction of environmental repercussions stemming from traditional electricity use. In 2022, nearly 700 Partners were voluntarily using close to 95 billion kilowatt-hours of green power.
