2015 GREEN POWER LEADERSHIP AWARDS

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS: U.S. EPA PARTNERSHIP CATEGORIES

1. Ensure Eligibility 

An applicant or organization nominated for an award by a third-party is eligible if the following 

requirements are met:

 Is an EPA Green Power Partner and will maintain partner status through the awards event.

 Applicants that are not EPA Green Power Partners must join the Partnership by April 17, 2015.

 Only eligible green power generated from U.S.-based renewable energy resources will be 

considered. Please review the Partnership Requirements (PDF) (16 pp, 2MB) for more 

information. 

 Applicants must have an operational on-site green power generator or have completed a 

green power purchase by April 17, 2015. The green power purchase is considered complete 

when delivery is executed. 

 Previous winners and applicants are eligible.

 Only U.S.-based operations and facilities are eligible. 

 Applicants or nominees will be evaluated on the green power use they have reported to the 

Green Power Partnership as of April 17, 2015.

 Please note: Eligibility will be verified during the review process, and finalists will need to pass 

an EPA compliance screen in order to be selected.

2. Complete Application Form

Please submit one application form for each organization1. Organizations should submit only one 

application form, even if they are applying for multiple award categories. Third-parties may 

nominate more than one organization for an award, but must use a separate application for each 

nominee. 

																																																							

1

Organizations may submit a Green Power Leadership Award application on their own behalf, OR third-parties may nominate an 

organization for an award. Use this application in either instance. The term “applicant” is used in both instances. 
Organizations are encouraged to apply directly. If you are a third-party nominating an 

organization for an award, the organization you are nominating MUST be copied on the email 

submittal and we advise you to consult with them to accurately capture their full contribution 

to the green power marketplace, not just your experience with them. Please complete all 

sections of the form:

Award Categories 

Contact Information

Eligibility Questions

Green Power Use Questions & Data Form

Essay Questions

Communications Activities

3. Submit Supplemental Materials (encouraged but not required)

 If possible, please provide all supplemental materials supporting communications claims in one 

(1) PDF file. Please be sure to label all supplemental materials with the organization’s name in the 

filename. Note that materials may be emailed to gpla@erg.com if less than 10 MB in size. If 

larger, please contact Roger Fernandez using the information below.

4. Email all materials to GPLA@erg.com. Contact Roger Fernandez (information below) with any 

issues or questions.

 Please note that all applicants must submit a green power use form in conjunction with the GPLA 

application (see the Green Power Use & Data Form section in this application). After the award

application and green power use forms are submitted, EPA will confirm receipt and follow up 

with questions, if necessary.

Questions?

Email GPLA@erg.com or contact Roger Fernandez at (202) 343-9386 or fernandez.roger@epa.gov. 

Deadline

Friday, April 17, 2015 (11:59 pm eastern)

Applications will be accepted beginning February 23, 2015.
APPLICATION FORM

Award Categories

Please check all that apply.

 Green Power Purchasing On-site Generation Partner of the Year

Green Power Community of the Year (only EPA Green Power Communities are eligible)

Sustained Excellence (open to Partners that continue to demonstrate excellence and leadership 

 in their green power use)

Applicant Contact Information

Note: Please fill out the fields below with contact information for the organization applying for or being nominated for 

a Green Power Leadership Award.

Organization 

Contact Name 

Title 

Address (Street 1) 

Address (Street 2) 

City State Zip 

Phone 

Email 

Submitter Contact Information

NOTE: Please fill out the contact information below if you are a third-party submitting an application for another 

organization

If same as contact information above, check here and skip: 

Organization 

Contact Name 

Title 

Address (Street 1) 

Address (Street 2) 

City State Zip 

Phone 

Email 

Relationship to Applicant 
Applicant’s Communications/Public Relations Contact 

If same as applicant contact information, check here and skip: 

Contact Name 

Title 

Phone 

Email 
Eligibility Questions

 Will the applicant have an operational on-site green power generator or a completed green power purchase 

in place by April 17, 2015? On-site green power is only eligible if the applicant owns the renewable energy 

certificates (RECs) associated with the system’s output. The green power purchase is considered complete 

when delivery is executed.

Yes No

Note: Applicants will be evaluated on the green power use they have reported to the Green Power 

Partnership as of April 17, 2015. 

 Will the applicant maintain EPA Green Power Partner status by continuing to fulfill the Partnership 

Requirements (PDF) through the awards event? Yes No

 Scope of the applicant’s participation in the Green Power Partnership:

Organization-wide participation [Reported electricity use covers all owned and/or leased U.S. operations 

of Partner]

Facility-based participation [Reported electricity use covers a facility or group of facilities owned and/or 

leased by Partner]

If the applicant’s participation is facility-based, please list the facility or group of facilities included below.

Green Power Use Questions & Data Form

1. How much green power does the applicant use on-site and/or purchase annually? (kWh/year)*

*If the applicant began using green power less than a year ago, please extrapolate the green power usage to 

an annualized amount.

Is this the applicant’s first year of using green power? Yes No 

2. Has there been an incremental increase in the applicant’s total green power use since the close of the last 

GPLA application period (April 7, 2014)? If so, indicate the increased amount: (kWh/year)

3. Complete the GPLA green power use data form and email to GPLA@erg.com with the rest of your award 

materials. Note, if the applicant is already an EPA Green Power Partner, you may request a form prepopulated with the applicant’s current information by emailing GPLA@erg.com.
Essay Questions

Please note: if the applicant is selected to be an award winner, EPA may use the content of these essay answers to 

write the applicant’s award winner profile.

1. Why is the applicant worthy of national recognition for its green power usage? What role does green power 

play in the applicant’s broader business and environmental strategy? Please also discuss any innovative 

green power strategies the applicant has undertaken, and how the applicant has demonstrated leadership 

within its industry by using green power. (400 word maximum)

2. How did the applicant communicate its green power use? Beyond April 17, 2015, what future 

communications plans does the applicant have for promoting its green power usage? If selected, how will the 

applicant publicize its EPA Green Power Leadership Award internally and externally? (200 word maximum. 

Please note: EPA strongly encourages each award winner to attend the ceremony in person, issue a press 

release, promote its status as an award winner on social media, and post notice of the award on its website.)

3. How does the applicant build awareness about green power in general? What steps, if any, does the 

applicant take to encourage stakeholders to use green power? What are the applicant’s upcoming plans to 

continue doing so? 
Communications Activities

 Please check the boxes in the correct column below and distinguish between activities led by the applicant 

and those led by other stakeholders such as providers, NGOs, etc. 

 All selected activities should have a direct communications connection to the applicant’s green power use. 

 If “Other” applies, please explain in supplemental page(s).

 Supplemental materials that correspond to the activities selected are encouraged. Please submit 

supplemental materials in the form of one combined PDF, if possible. You may submit no more than 10 

pages of supplemental materials.

Green Power Related Public Relations Applicant led Stakeholder led Materials 

submitted

Press releases

Press conference, announcement or dedication events

Media outreach/interviews/pitch stories

Educational kiosks/virtual tours

Promotion of ranking on EPA Top Partner List(s)

Other (please explain)

Continued on next page

Green Power Related Marketing Applicant led Stakeholder led Materials 

submitted

Public web page (please supply visitor statistics)

Paid print, radio, television advertising 

Public service announcements

Product packaging

In-store communications/window stickers

Marketing collateral/brochures/catalogs/flyers

Public facing signage (office buildings, shuttles)

Other (please explain)

Green Power Related Stakeholder Outreach Applicant led Stakeholder led Materials submitted

Speaking events/presentations/conferences/tradeshows

Stakeholder newsletters

Corporate intranet/internal Web announcements

Web casts/videos

Trade outreach (industry associations, tradeshow booth)

Supplier and distributor outreach (workshops, etc)

Stakeholder green power purchase opportunities 

Corporate sustainability report

Sponsorships or partnerships (committees, task forces, events)

Other (please explain) 
Complete this section only if applicant is an EPA Green Power Community.

 Green Power Community Campaign Communications Applicant led Stakeholder led Materials 

submitted

Posting of EPA Green Power Community road signs

Speaking events/town meetings

Campaign Outreach

Informational poster campaigns

Chamber of Commerce outreach

Direct mailings/utility bill inserts

Other (please explain)