NHL becomes first pro sports league named to EPA's 'Green Power' list

The National Hockey League announced Friday that it has become the first professional sports league ever to be listed on the Environmental Protection Agency’s National Top 100 list of the largest users of green power. The NHL ranked No. 17 on the list for its efforts to reduce its environmental impact.

The National Hockey League announced Friday that it has become the first professional sports league ever to be listed on the Environmental Protection Agency’s National Top 100 list of the largest users of green power.

According to the press release, the NHL ranked No. 17 on the list for its efforts to reduce its environmental impact.

Among the initiatives the NHL has taken are its NHL Green sustainability initiative created in 2010 and the Sustainability Report published last year by the league that documented and disclosed the NHL’s carbon footprint.

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The NHL named Constellation, a leading competitive energy and services company, as its preferred energy provider. Constellation will supply renewable energy certificates that represent more than 271 kilowatt hours of green power—the amount consumed by the league.

“We are proud to be recognized for our efforts as we continue our mission to protect our environment and preserve the roots of our game,” commissioner Gary Bettman said.

Green power is electricity generated from renewable resources such as wind, solar, geothermal, biogas, eligible biomass and low-impact hydro.

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The NHL is also qualified for the EPA’s Green Power Leadership Club, a distinction given to organizations that significantly exceed EPA minimum requirements. The threshold for club membership is the use of 10 times the EPA’s minimum green power usage.

- Phil Watson