The City of Hillsboro has been recognized as one of two winners of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Green Power Community Challenge for having the nation’s highest green power percentage of total electricity use.

Nearly 51 percent of Hillsboro’s local government, residential, and business electricity usage comes from green power sources. According to EPA, Hillsboro’s collective green power usage of more than 1 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) is equal to avoiding the carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions of more than 150,000 passenger vehicles per year, or is the equivalent amount of electricity needed to power more than 98,000 homes annually.

Green power is electricity generated from clean renewable sources like solar, wind, and low-impact hydropower. Communities using green power benefit from cleaner air and a healthier environment, while helping advance the market for renewable energy.

“This is a great achievement for the City of Hillsboro and a testament to our community’s commitment to voluntarily seek out ways to become more sustainable,” said Hillsboro Mayor Jerry Willey. “My family knows the value of green power firsthand from our experience installing solar power panels on our roof, and our purchase of green power through our electricity supplier, Portland General Electric.”

“Congratulations to the City of Hillsboro for their voluntary commitment to doing more to be sustainable,” said Lauren Shapton, manager of customer mass programs at Portland General Electric. “It takes consumers and businesses of all types to help create a greener future for everyone.”

Hillsboro has been a Green Power Community since June 2010. Green Power Communities are cities, towns, and villages where the local government, businesses, and residents all commit to use green power in amounts that meet or exceed EPA's Green Power Community purchase requirements.

"The EPA congratulates the community of Hillsboro, Oregon on winning this year’s Green Power Community Challenge,” said Mollie Lemon, Program Manager of EPA's Green Power Partnership. “Electricity generation is the largest source of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by sector, accounting for about a third of the U.S. total. So, by using renewable electricity, the community of Hillsboro is helping to reduce harmful carbon pollution and making a positive difference for our environment."

More than 50 EPA Green Power Communities across the country participated in the Challenge, which launched in September 2013. Green Power Communities competed to see which one could use the most total green power and which one could achieve the highest green power percentage of total electricity use.

Hillsboro City leaders have prioritized sustainability – defined as satisfying the needs of citizens while minimizing the impact on the physical environment of the community. The City of Hillsboro has set aggressive, long-term organizational sustainability goals, and has been recognized for achieving progress toward those goals. Recent examples include:

• 2012 selection as National League of Cities (NLC) Showcase City at NLC national conference in Boston
• 2013 US Conference of Mayors Climate Protection Award Honorable Mention
• White House and U.S. Department of Energy recognition for reduced energy use by City of Hillsboro facilities – more than 11 percent reduction since 2009

About the City of Hillsboro: Now Oregon’s fifth largest city, with 93,340 people, Hillsboro is helping to grow Oregon’s future – from microprocessors to vital industries, centers of commerce and green spaces. Hillsboro is a well-planned, affordable hometown with a strong economic base and one of the state’s most diverse populations. It is the high tech corridor for the state and home to a broad range of businesses, large and small, including Oregon’s largest employer, Intel. It also has the second busiest airport in the state and the fifth largest school district. Hillsboro hosts the second largest 4th of July parade in Oregon and annual events including a Latino Cultural Festival, Celebrate Hillsboro, and the Oregon International Air Show. www.Hillsboro-Oregon.gov.

About EPA’s Green Power Community Initiative: EPA Green Power Communities are cities, towns, villages, counties or tribal governments where the local government, businesses and residents collectively buy green power in amounts that meet or exceed EPA's purchase requirements as part of the Green Power Partnership. More than 50 cities and towns in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin have become Green Power Communities. Learn more at www.epa.gov/greenpower/communities/index.htm.