State shifts to renewable energy

Connecticut now trails only Pennsylvania as the largest purchaser of “green power” nationally, with the state buying the equivalent of 12 percent of its electricity used by state government from renewable sources.

The state is the first in New England to join the Green Power Partnership organized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Participating businesses include Honda of Westport and Stamford-based Pitney Bowes, which derives about 11 percent of its power needs from renewable sources.

EPA estimates that Connecticut”™s green power purchase of nearly 84 million kilowatt hours is equivalent to that needed to power 10,000 homes and has the same impact on emissions as taking 9,000 cars off the roads.

Gov. M. Jodi Rell has set a goal of deriving 20 percent of the state government”™s energy by 2020 from clean, renewable sources.