Windpower Purchase Qualifies John Roberts Company as EPA Green Power Partner

Minnesota printing company’s purchase of wind-generated power through Xcel Energy’s Windsource Program is third-largest voluntary purchase of green power in state.

Minneapolis, MN (PRWEB) April 14, 2006 -- The John Roberts Company, a full-service web, sheetfed and digital printing company, has recently been qualified as an EPA Green Power Partner with their purchase of wind-generated electrical power.

John Roberts has agreed to purchase 1 million kilowatt hours (kWh), or 1,000 megawatt hours (MWh) of wind-generated power per year for the next three years through Minnesota-based Xcel Energy’s Windsource program. Wind-generated power will represent approximately 9% of the total energy used by John Roberts each year; the company currently uses about 11.3 million kWh of electricity per year. All internal John Roberts Company materials will be printed using “green” power, and customers will have the option of specifying the use of green power or wind energy for the printing and finishing of their materials.

The significant purchase of windpower has allowed John Roberts to qualify for the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) Green Power Partnership, a voluntary program helping to increase the use of green power among leading U.S. organizations. Currently, the Green Power Partnership has over 600 Partners voluntarily purchasing over 5 million MWh of green power. According to EPA calculations, John Roberts’ purchase of 1,000 MWh of green power is equivalent to removing 121 cars from the road for an entire year, or planting 186 acres of trees.

“John Roberts' purchase is the third-largest voluntary green power purchase in the state of Minnesota,” said Blaine Collison, Director, Green Power Partnership. “The Green Power Partnership applauds their leadership and hopes that other businesses will follow their example.”

As a manufacturing company, John Roberts has long been committed to minimizing its environmental impact from all aspects of its business. Last month, the company was certified as a SmartWood Chain-of-Custody supplier as part of its commitment to using environmentally-friendly manufacturing practices for paper-based products.

In 1997, the John Roberts Company was one of the first in Minnesota to have achieved the Minnesota Green Star status. Companies are recognized by the Minnesota Green Star program for voluntarily releasing a summary of their environmental audit. John Roberts has continually renewed its status under this program.

According to Michael Keene, President of The John Roberts Company, the purchase of wind-generated electrical power and qualification as an EPA Green Power Partner are in keeping with the company’s ongoing and long-standing commitment to environmental stewardship.

“To date, we’ve implemented environmentally-friendly practices for most areas of our operations,” said Keene. “We take seriously our role as a valued print production partner for many of the finest companies and organizations in Minnesota and beyond. The decision to purchase 1,000 megawatt hours of wind-powered electrical power per year is a major part of our plan to offer our customers a “green” production solution for every facet of the production cycle.”

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About The John Roberts Company: The John Roberts Company is a commercial printing company located in Minneapolis, MN. The company specializes in high-quality sheetfed, web offset and digital printing, as well as a complete in-house bindery, high-speed inkjetting and mailing, and more. Tony Hoholik, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, can be reached at (763) 754-4330.

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