DuPont Recognized By EPA As One Of Nation's Top Green Power Purchasers

WILMINGTON, Del., Oct. 9 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- DuPont announced today that it has been recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on their national Top 25 list of the largest green power purchasers in the Green Power Partnership. DuPont is being recognized for its voluntary purchase of 170 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of green power. The company is purchasing renewable energy certificates for electricity generated from biomass and wind energy.

DuPont is ranked No. 7 among all purchasers nationwide. The list highlights EPA Green Power Partners that have completed the largest annual voluntary green power purchases through Sept. 22, 2006. The Top Partner list is updated quarterly and is available at http://www.epa.gov/greenpower/partners/top25.htm.

"We are proud to be on the EPA's Top 25 list," said Linda J. Fisher, DuPont vice president and chief sustainability officer. "Purchasing green power helps us improve our environmental performance, increase demand for renewable resources and sends a clear message that using cleaner sources of electricity is a sound business decision."

"Green power" is electricity that is partially or entirely generated from environmentally preferable resources, such as solar, wind, geothermal, biogas, biomass, and low-impact hydro resources. These renewable energy sources are cleaner than conventional fossil fuel based sources of electricity that produce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, a greenhouse gas linked to global climate change. Purchasing green power helps support the development of new renewable energy capacity nationwide.

"By switching to alternative, renewable power sources, these Green Power Partners are showing their interest in green doesn't stop at money," said EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson. "EPA and our environmental partners are meeting President Bush's call to green our nation's energy - proving that doing what's good for the environment is also good for business."

The U.S. EPA, using national average utility emissions rates, estimates that DuPont's purchase is equivalent to avoiding nearly 237 million pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions annually, or is the equivalent to avoiding the CO2 emissions associated with more than 23,000 passenger cars each year. DuPont's purchase of 170 million kilowatt-hours also represents the same amount of electricity needed to power nearly 14,000 average American homes each year.

DuPont has reduced greenhouse gas emissions 72 percent since 1990. In doing so, it has avoided more than $3 billion in energy costs. Those energy savings are based on the use of improved process controls; optimization of energy generation and distribution at its facilities; new technologies with lower energy consumption, and; one of the biggest factors - improved yields from DuPont's manufacturing processes. DuPont also is reducing the use of fossil fuels by employing renewable energy sources such as landfill gas.

In addition to its products for photovoltaic solar panels, fuel cells and bio-based materials and biofuels, DuPont recently launched DuPont(TM) Tyvek(R) AtticWrap(TM), the first breathable roofing membrane to completely seal a home's building envelope. Used in combination with DuPont(TM) Tyvek(R) HomeWrap(R), an airtight building envelope that surrounds the entire home is formed, saving up to 20 percent on energy costs.

The EPA's Green Power Partnership is a voluntary program helping to increase the use of green power among leading U.S. organizations. The program encourages organizations to purchase green power as a way to reduce the risk of climate change and the environmental impacts associated with conventional electricity use. The Green Power Partnership currently has over 600 Partners voluntarily purchasing more than 6.8 billion kWh of green power. Partners include a wide variety of leading organizations such as Fortune 500 companies, local, state, and federal governments, trade associations, as well as colleges and universities.

DuPont is a science company. Founded in 1802, DuPont puts science to work by creating sustainable solutions essential to a better, safer, healthier life for people everywhere. Operating in more than 70 countries, DuPont offers a wide range of innovative products and services for markets including agriculture, nutrition, electronics, communications, safety and protection, home and construction, transportation and apparel.

For more information on EPA's Top 25 list, visit http://www.epa.gov/greenpower/partners/top25.htm.

For a full listing of the more than 600 EPA Green Power Partners and information about buying green power, see the Partnership's Web site at http://www.epa.gov/greenpower/

For more information on DuPont, visit http://www.dupont.com/

The DuPont Oval Logo, DuPont(TM), The miracles of science(TM), and Tyvek(R), AtticWrap(TM) and HomeWrap(R) are registered trademarks or trademarks of DuPont or its affiliates.