I have terrific news to share from the Clayton Green Power Community Challenge Team!  On December 2^nd, the City officially achieved the 3% green power requirement necessary to retain the designation of EPA Green Power Community (GPC)!   As we’ve discussed in this blog before, the City had previously achieved GPC designation, a first for Missouri, in April of 2011.  A change to the EPA rules in January required a 1% increase in green power support from 2% to 3% for Clayton to remain a GPC.

The City’s GPC team (which yours truly leads) launched the second phase of the challenge on May 1^st and has been working with the commercial and residential communities to garner the additional support necessary to surpass the goal by the December 31^st deadline.      

Then on Friday, (right before we all started skating with Frosty and Radio Disney) we learned that the Crowne Plaza Clayton Hotel made a 100% commitment to green power and because of this commitment, Clayton was able to surpass the 3% green power mark in advance of the deadline!

The Crowne Plaza’s 266 megawatt hour per month commitment will prevent the release of 2,201 metric tons of carbon dioxide, a leading greenhouse gas, annually into our Midwest atmosphere.  This emission reduction is the environmental equivalent of taking 432 gasoline-powered vehicles off the road for a year.   (That’s huge!)

I also have to mention recent support for the GPC goal also came from the collective commitment to install 130.7 kilowatts of direct solar energy at the Clayton branch of U.S. Bank, the new Clayton Police Station, and a number of Clayton residences.

The Crowne Plaza Hotel and U.S. Bank join Duke Realty, the City of Clayton, the Clayton School District, Concordia Seminary, the Sansone Group, 30 additional businesses and over 225 Clayton residents in achieving this first in Missouri distinction – twice!

Mayor Linda Goldstein had this to say:

“First, our thanks go to Clayton’s GPC team for their commitment to helping us retain this meaningful designation. Our gratitude and respect to all who support environmental preservation, especially those Clayton businesses and residents who have signed up to purchase renewable energy credits and are helping our City maintain this important distinction. ”