Green Power Partnership Requirements

GPP Program Update 52 – GPP Partnership Requirements

EPA is accepting feedback on its proposed program updates, as well as any clarifying questions, via email (green_power_partnership@epa.gov) until December 6, 2024.

Organizations and communities looking to join the Green Power Partnership (GPP) must ensure that they meet a range of eligibility and Partnership requirements. All Partners are encouraged to read the following Partnership Requirements document in its entirety before joining the program.

The following summarizes the major elements of the Green Power Partnership requirements. Clicking on any of the links below will prompt the Partnership Requirements document to open to the page that covers the specific requirement in greater detail.

Eligible Organizations (pdf) – The Partnership is open to all organizations and communities operating within the United States with an annual electricity use of 100,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) or greater. Providers of green power, such as sellers, suppliers, developers, or marketers, (i.e., “providers”) are not eligible. Individuals and residences are not eligible.
Scope of Participation (pdf) – Organizations may participate in the Partnership for U.S.-based operations at various levels, including for all U.S. operations, a subset of operations or brands, or at the individual facility level. Communities may partner with EPA by totaling all government, business, institutional, and residential electricity and green power use within a logical and clearly defined boundary, such as a town, village, city, county, or tribal nation.
Incremental Green Power Requirement (pdf) – EPA recognizes only voluntary green power use above mandatory requirements like state renewable portfolio standards (RPSs), mandates placed on utilities, or load-serving entities or consent decrees. All green power use counted by the GPP must be incremental to what the Partner would have bought absent proactive green power procurement.
Yearly Reporting Requirement (pdf) – Partners are required to update EPA annually with information on their green power use. EPA will provide Partners with an annual Partner Reporting Form that includes the data EPA has on record for them; Partners will be asked to revise and submit updates to EPA.
Minimum Usage Requirement (pdf) – All Partners must use green power in amounts that meet EPA’s minimum green power usage requirements. Minimum usage amounts for Partners are based on a percentage of the Partner’s total annual electricity use. Organization and Communities have different minimum green power usage requirements.
Eligible Sources of Green Power (pdf) – The voluntary market considers green power to be a subset of renewable energy resources that provide the highest environmental benefit. To be eligible for the Green Power Partnership, all green power generation must be from U.S.-based projects and delivered to U.S.-based Partner operations. Green power must be obtained through proactive procurement that is surplus to what the Partner would have otherwise received. Green power must be generated from projects placed in service in the last 15 years. (Also See Appendix A in the Partnership Requirements Document (pdf))
Eligible Scope of Green Power Use (pdf) – The Green Power Partnership focuses on the electricity use consumed within Partner operations. Partners who purchase green power to cover electricity use outside of their own footprint may report such green power above 100 percent usage if they explain how the application of the green power is related to their—or others’—operational use of electricity. EPA reserves the right to not recognize green power procurement and use that does not meet industry best practice.
Eligible Green Power Products [Supply Options] (pdf) – EPA recognizes a wide range of eligible supply options for using green power. Note that only the eligible voluntary portion of the chosen supply option counts toward GPP requirements. EPA recommends that consumers purchase third-party certified green power as a consumer best practice, where applicable.
Specific State Green Power Requirements (pdf) – Because specific state policies may influence the eligibility of green power toward the Green Power Partnership, EPA has identified several specific policy situations that Partners should be aware of when purchasing green power in some regions of the country.
“New” Renewables Usage Requirement (pdf) – All green power generation must come from “new” projects/generators that were placed into service in the last 15 years. EPA will, however, recognize some long-term supply contracts or self-generation that operate beyond the 15-year “new” renewable requirement. Projects may still qualify as “new” if they meet specific “repowering” requirements.
Eligible Generation Dates (pdf) – Partners are required to report green power use for a full 12-month “Period of Reported Green Power Use.” All green power use reported in each successive 12-month reporting period must be generated during the respective 12-month reporting period, during the six months immediately preceding the reporting period, or during the three months immediately following the reporting period. Green power generation and use is eligible during this 21-month reporting time frame.
Product Certification (pdf) – As a consumer best practice, EPA recommends buying third-party certified and verified retail green power products. Third-party certified and verified green power products help ensure that the consumer’s purchase comes from resources that meet nationally accepted standards for product quality and content. Third-party certifiers also validate supplier marketing claims to ensure that what suppliers are selling is provided to customers through verified contracts and audits.
Environmental Claims Guidance (pdf) – Green power use allows consumers to make specific environmental benefit claims. EPA is available to support its Partners in making credible claims. EPA reserves the right to suspend Partners who make inappropriate claims or do not recognize specific supplier products that fail to meet industry standards.
Partner Suspensions (pdf) – Partners must update their green power use each year by submitting a Partner Reporting Form to EPA. Partners who fail to annually submit a Partner Reporting Form—or who fail to meet EPA’s minimum requirements—will be suspended from the Partnership.
Partnership Requirements Updates (pdf) – EPA reserves the right to update its program requirements at any time. EPA will give Partners and stakeholders the opportunity to review significant updates or proposed changes to the Partnership requirements.

Please contact EPA if you have any questions related to the above eligibility or Partnership requirements.

Learn more about joining the Partnership as an organization.

Learn more about joining the Partnership as a community.