[ ^ GREEN PO||j^ 2023 Green Power Leadership Award Application Steps to Apply for a GPLA 1. Assess Applicant Eligibility An applicant (or organization nominated for an award by a third party) is eligible for a Green Power Leadership Award (GPLA) if it meets the following requirements: • All applicants must be an EPA Green Power Partner in good standing by the close of the application period (i.e., April 21, 2023). • Only the applicant's U.S.-based operations and facilities are eligible. • Only green power generation sources located in the United States are eligible o Please review the Partnership Requirements for more information. • Only active green power purchases or green power use are eligible. A green power purchase is considered active when the start of contracted delivery is executed, or commercial operation has commenced. For GPLA eligibility, the green power use is considered active when the purchase or use start date is no later than April 21, 2023. • Previous GPLA winners are eligible for awards. However, EPA will evaluate applicants on the incremental green power activities they have undertaken since their last award. For example, if a Partner won in 2019 for activities they conducted during the calendar year 2018, then activities from January 1, 2019, onward are eligible. • Applicants should contact GPLA@epa.gov (or their assigned account manager) if they are unsure of their eligibility or their activities' relevance. Note: EPA will verify eligibility during the review process, and finalists will need to pass an EPA compliance screening to be selected. 2. Request a Partner Reporting Form Please contact GPLA@epa.gov to obtain a Partner Reporting Form, which must be completed and submitted with the application. Applicants should submit the completed award application and Partner Reporting Form together. The Partner Reporting Form includes details and instructions on completion and submission. All green power projects and usage included in the award application must align with the information included in the Partner Reporting Form. EPA strongly encourages Partners to complete the form prior to completing this application. Note: Applicants who are already an EPA Green Power Partner must request a pre-populated Partner Reporting Form 1 ------- 3. Complete Award Application Organizations will have the opportunity to highlight their green power leadership and impact throughout the application. Applicants should fill out areas that pertain to relevant achievements. If an applicant does not have activity in a specific area, then leave that section or question blank. EPA encourages applicants to include hyperlinks, URLs, images, and other materials that support the information included in the application. Proof of action can be included in the application, or in a PDF attached to the application. Only verifiable work will be considered for the awards. Third parties may nominate an organization for an award. However, third parties MUST copy the organization being nominated on the emailed application. EPA strongly advises that third parties consult with nominees to accurately capture their full contribution to the green power marketplace, which might be more robust than the nominating third party's experience with or sales to the nominee. Note: only Partners can request that EPA share their Partner Reporting Form. If EPA selects the applicant as an award winner, the Agency may use content from this form to write the applicant's award winner profile. Please make sure all the information provided is as accurate as possible. 4. Submit Materials to GPLA@epa.gov Required i. A completed GPLA application ii. A completed Partner Reporting Form Optional i. Supplemental materials After the applicant submits its GPLA application and Partner Reporting Form, EPA will confirm receipt and follow up with questions. 5. Questions? Email GPLAffiepa.gov or contact Bailey Rosen at (202) 951-0324 or rosen.bailevffiepa.gov. Deadline Friday, April 21, 2023 (11:59 p.m. Eastern Time) Applications will be accepted beginning March 13, 2023. 2 ------- Contact Details Applicant Contact Information Note: Please fill out the contact information below for the applicant 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 a third party is submitting an application for another organization If same as contact information above, check here and skip:D Third-Party Organization Contact Name Title Address (Street 1) Address (Street 2) City State Zip Phone Email 3 ------- Applicant's Communications/Public Relations Contact If same as applicant contact information, check here and skip: ~ Contact Name Title Phone Email ------- • From this point forward, no questions are "required". Applicants should only provide information in a question area if it is relevant to their green power activities. EPA will not consider applications incomplete if there are blank spaces. • Only activities already undertaken will be recognized. Please provide a URL or proof of action (e.g., images; screenshots of social media). EPA cannot give awards based on future plans; include only completed or ongoing activities in the application. • Each section has a text box for applicants to expand upon the information already provided. Please write about the applicant's activity, why the activity is indicative of leadership, and provide proof. Intention and Ambition Intention and ambition to establish and achieve renewable energy or emissions reduction targets using green power are indicators of leadership and success. Applicants that set targets and publicly acknowledge them are more likely to achieve them. Please describe the scope, scale, and timing elements of the applicant's target and how the applicant's current green power use factors into meeting the target. Please provide the precise language: scope, scale, and timing of the applicant's target(s),1 which the applicant's green power use is working to achieve (150-word limit): 1 Preference is for a renewable energy or electricity target, but GHG emissions targets can also be included in their absence. 5 ------- What type of planning is in place for institutionalizing these goals across your organization? This may include an explanation of how internal groups are aligned to meet institutional goals, an implementation plan, internal carbon price, etc. (150-word limit): Please provide a link to a webpage or document where the applicant's target(s) is publicly available: Voluntary green power procurement goes above and beyond what the consumer would have otherwise received via their standard delivered grid mix. EPA views incremental green power use as a leading action, key in making a difference, and evidence of having an impact. Does the applicant intend to meet its established target entirely through voluntary procurement and use of green power alone? Yes Q No, through both voluntary and non-voluntary sources (i.e., standard delivered grid mix) of renewable electricity n 6 ------- Green Power Use Green power use is central to an applicant's award-worthiness. Since only EPA Green Power Partners are eligible for an award, EPA will partly evaluate leadership based on the applicant's green power use that goes beyond the EPA's minimum requirements. Significant green power use demonstrates leadership, drives demand, and increases market impact. In this section, please provide information on the applicant's green power use.2 Describe why the applicant is worthy of national recognition for its green power usage. What is unique about the applicant's green power portfolio, strategy, and commitment? (300-word limit) -~-REQUIRED OF ALL APPLICANTS^- EPA requires that award applicants request and return an updated Partner Reporting Form, which details the applicant's current green power use data. To request a Partner Reporting Form from EPA, please contact either the applicant assigned account manager or email GPLAffiepa.gov. If someone other than the applicant is submitting this award applicant, please be aware that the EPA requires that the Partner/applicant make the requests and return the updated Partner Reporting Form to the EPA by the application period's close. 2 Previous award winners should only focus on green power use since their last award. EPA is not able to recognize applicants for actions that have already received awards. ------- Communications An applicant's communication on its green power use is a critical factor in demonstrating leadership. Communicating the applicant's green power use helps raise awareness, provides social proof, inspires others, and supports market principles and best practices. Applicants will be evaluated on how they communicate their green power use and partnership with EPA to stakeholders. Describe how the applicant features its partnership with EPA's Green Power Partnership, including where the Green Power Partner Mark (shown at right) can be found on its website or in communications materials. Please provide links below or examples with your supplemental materials. (150-word limit) M SEPA GREEN POWER PARTNER 8 ------- Has the applicant published a press release (EPA-provided or original) regarding its Green Power Partnership status and ranking? If so, please provide a link(s) to the materials. Yes ~ No ~ Please identify the range of strategies the applicant partnership with EPA. Please provide examples with Website ~ Newsletters ~ Podcasts ~ Whitepapers ~ Reports ~ Webinars ~ Blogging/Guest blogging ~ Social media (Facebook, Linkedln, Twitter, Yelp, Instagram, Influencers) ~ Exterior/interior signage ~ Sustainability report ~ Other not noted (enter details below): ~ implements to promote its green power use and your supplemental materials. Brochures ~ Overhead messaging ~ On-hold messaging ~ Mailers ~ Press releases ~ Media interviews ~ Sponsorships ~ Speaking events ~ Conferences ~ Applicant hosted events ~ 9 ------- Influence Influencing others to use green power is another significant area of leadership. EPA will evaluate applicants on concrete actions taken that help increase access to and use of green power within the local community or stakeholder groups. Stakeholder groups could include competitors, suppliers, employees, community residents, customers, and load-serving entities. Buying on behalf of others, such as the telecommuting workforce, is a growing sphere of influence. Describe how the applicant's actions have increased use of green power in the communities in which it operates. Examples may include procuring on behalf of others (including suppliers, employees, and customers), procurement collaborations in the community, or playing a key role in a shared renewable energy project. (150-word limit) Describe how the applicant's actions have increased access in the green power marketplace. Examples may include increasing access within its value chain, influence around new utility product offerings, impact on peers or competitors, or influence on load serving entities. (150 words maximum) 10 ------- Transparency Transparency speaks to an applicant's willingness to collaborate, share information, report data, and advance best practices and market principles. Based on the evidence provided, the EPA will assess the applicant's leadership on demonstrating sound market principles and best practices; accountability in reporting and involvement in related groups, programs, and initiatives; and actively advancing knowledge to others. Leadership involves publicly supporting core market principles and best practices that foster credibility, confidence, and market participation by others. Which of the following market principles and best practices does the applicant support publicly? Please select any of the following that apply. ~ Publicly recognizing market instruments as the mechanism to substantiate renewable electricity generation and use claims. ~ Avoiding claims that lead to double counting and double claiming of energy attributes. ~ Purchasing green power from the same market (per GHG Protocol guidance) in which the applicant operationally uses electricity. ~ Communicating using credible terms like "incremental" or "new" capacity or generation, and avoid using terms, such as "additionally," which can be misleading or inaccurate. ~ Ensuring claims are connected to the source of the renewable energy certificates the applicant owns rather than claims on a project for which the applicant no longer owns the related renewable energy certificates. ~ Supporting the principle that there are a variety of credible green power supply options, such that consumers who lack access are not dissuaded from engaging in the market due to a lack of confidence in specific supply types. 11 ------- What other fundamental market principles or best practices does the applicant feel are critical to support? What actions does the applicant take to support these principles or best practices? These may include actions taken that focus on collaboration, information sharing, data reporting and targeting procurement to maximize the potential for emissions reductions. (300-word limit) 12 ------- Innovation Innovation, sustainability, and grid improvements demonstrate leadership related to a range of actions that support the realization of a renewable electricity future. EPA will evaluate applicants on their actions around the deployment of storage, electrification of operations, and support of resilient grid infrastructure. Describe innovative strategies the applicant has used to procure green power or deploy storage assets. Examples include creative financing, the locational value of projects, implementation of microgrids, integration of storage, and other strategic approaches to the market to advance a renewable electricity future. (150-word limit) 13 ------- Describe the applicant's goals, strategy, and actions around clean electrification. How does the applicant measure its success in electrifying end-use applications? Examples of electrification include electric water heating, space heating, and electric vehicle charging. (150-word limit) Environmental Equity Applicants' actions promote an equitable transition to a clean energy economy and/or benefit communities with environmental justice concerns. EPA will evaluate applicants on their actions to address diversity, equity, and inclusion as well as whether activities benefit overburdened/underserved communities. Describe how the applicant's actions promote an equitable transition to a clean energy economy. This may include increasing clean energy access, reducing energy burden (costs), creating clean energy jobs or training opportunities, increasing access to low-cost capital, etc. (150-word limit) 14 ------- Do the applicant's investments in green power have any direct impact on communities disproportionately burdened by environmental harms and risks, such as minority, low-income, and/or tribal communities, among others? Please quantify impacts where possible (including emissions reductions, cost reductions, size of community, etc.). (150-word limit) Other Is there anything else the EPA should know related to the applicant's green power leadership activities? (300-word limit) End of Application. Please submit to GPLA(5)epa.gov. 15 ------- |