SANTA CLARA, Calif. – December 5, 2006 – Santa Clara Green Power, a 100 percent renewable energy option offered by Silicon Valley Power (SVP), the City of Santa Clara’s municipal electric utility, received a Green Power Leadership Award, the only winner in the New Green Power Program or Product category.  City of Santa Clara Mayor Patricia Mahan accepted the award last night during a celebratory dinner honoring the winners at the Renaissance Parc 55 Hotel in San Francisco.  Santa Clara Green Power is one of only 22 winners of the Green Power Leadership Awards nationwide.

The competitive, national program, organized by the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Center for Resource Solutions, recognizes the actions of individuals, companies and organizations that are significantly advancing the development of renewable electricity sources through green power markets.  

“Every year more energy suppliers are providing their customers the option of buying green power.  We are proud to recognize the efforts of the suppliers that are leading the way in promoting the use of renewable energy,” says Andy Karsner, Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.

Introduced in 2004, Santa Clara Green Power is a combination of wind and solar power generated by newly created wind farms and solar photovoltaic facilities in California. Since its inception, the program has attracted 5.8 percent participation–far above the national green pricing program average of 1.2 percent. It is quickly moving towards its 2007 goal of 7.5 percent penetration. 

“We are honored to receive such a prestigious award sponsored by three important organizations in the energy field,” says Mayor Mahan.  “Our Santa Clara Green Power program owes its great success to teamwork–a partnership between SVP and its many customers, who have welcomed an opportunity to make a choice about the type of electricity their dollars support.  We are well on our way to achieving 30 percent renewable by 2007–far ahead of California’s goal of 20 percent by 2010.”

Among Santa Clara Green Power’s customers are large, high-profile companies, such as Cisco Systems, Agilent Technologies, Applied Materials and Yahoo!, along with Santa Clara University and the City of Santa Clara.

Santa Clara Green Power costs customers only a penny and a half per kilowatt-hour (1.5 cents/kWh) above the standard electricity rate–one of the lowest rates in the country.  Proceeds from Santa Clara Green Power support community solar projects in highly visible locations, such as schools and non-profit senior centers, adding a community-wide spirit to an already successful effort.

The average Santa Clara Green Power participant prevents 5,640 pounds of carbon dioxide and harmful particulates into the atmosphere every year, which translates into environmental and air quality benefits equivalent to planting 380 trees or not driving a car for six months.