Pennsylvania and several green power leaders received awards this week from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Alternative Fuels Renewable Energies Council of Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania received a 2006 Green Power Leadership award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy for being the largest state purchaser of green electricity in the nation.

The Pennsylvania Alternative Fuels Renewable Energies Council also recognized three individuals for their green energy leadership.

Environmental Protection Secretary Kathleen A. McGinty received the Flame Award which recognizes individuals with the most outstanding contributions in accelerating the commercialization of alternative fuels and renewable energies.

AFREC honored two other leaders with Flame Awards, including Jeff Lyons, president of Worley & Obetz, a Lancaster County-based transportation and heating fuels provider that opened Pennsylvania’s first, publicly-available E85 ethanol-blended fuel pump this year. The company also is a partner in the East Coast’s first state-of-the-art biofuels injection facility in Dauphin County.

The second recipient is Donald Hunt, president of SYSCO Food Services of Central Pennsylvania LLC. Responding to a directive from the food company’s international headquarters in Texas to pursue environmentally friendly practices developed at a local level, Hunt switched the regional fleet to biodiesel. The move was done without any outside financial incentives and resulted in cleaner air and enhanced fuel security.

AFREC is an alliance of mid-Atlantic-based and national companies that are setting a trend for new economic development in the alternative fuels and renewable energy industries. AFREC provides business roundtable forums where its members meet, discuss, market their products and collaborate for new business.

NewsClip: Pennsylvania Receives National Green Power Leadership Award

12/8/2006