U.S Postmaster General kicks off year-long conservation campaign

Postmaster General John Potter launched a year-long campaign to increase awareness and create results for energy conservation. Potter called on employees, suppliers and partners in the mailing industry to increase efforts to “go green.” His statements came during a special “unplugged” event at Postal Service corporate headquarters, recognizing October as National Energy Awareness Month.
The Postal Service has a stated goal of reducing energy use 30 percent by 2015, he said, a further demonstration of the organization’s commitment to environmental stewardship. Scheduled capital investments will be made annually in energy conservation measures, primarily for lighting and HVAC upgrades.
A national energy management plan is being reviewed by Postal Service leadership, identifying goals and standards for energy reduction and consumption for facility energy management, fleet management, fuel use and energy consumption.

Postmaster General John Potter launched a year-long campaign to increase awareness and create results for energy conservation. Potter called on employees, suppliers and partners in the mailing industry to increase efforts to “go green.” His statements came during a special “unplugged” event at Postal Service corporate headquarters, recognizing October as National Energy Awareness Month.
The Postal Service has a stated goal of reducing energy use 30 percent by 2015, he said, a further demonstration of the organization’s commitment to environmental stewardship. Scheduled capital investments will be made annually in energy conservation measures, primarily for lighting and HVAC upgrades.
Efforts include a Utility Management System pilot project began earlier this year to capture consumption and cost data for electricity, natural gas and fuel oil. The pilot has successfully gathered bills for 600 sites and processed payments The project provides greater visibility into cost and consumption information, allowing the Postal Service to better manage energy resources.
Detailed energy audits are ongoing at 500 of the largest energy-consuming buildings in the postal inventory. These buildings represent approximately 40 million square feet of facility space (40 percent of all facilities) and approximately 60 percent of the Postal Service’s energy consumption. More than 1 trillion BTUs of potential energy reductions already have been identified.
A national energy management plan is being reviewed by Postal Service leadership, identifying goals and standards for energy reduction and consumption for facility energy management, fleet management, fuel use and energy consumption.
Other energy and conservation programs include:
• Incorporating energy efficient requirements into mail processing equipment designs. New standards such as power consumption now are being reviewed as part of postal procurement procedures. ENERGYSTAR® and Federal Energy Management Program(FEMP)-designated products will be used.
• The Denver Post Office was honored with Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification by the U.S. Green Building Council. LEED certification is a nationally accepted rating system that measures the environmental attributes and sustainable features of buildings. All LEED-certified buildings reduce water use by 37 percent, energy use by 30 percent and use at least 15 percent of recycled materials for construction. LEED certification is pending for a postal facility in South Hampton, NY.
• Lighting and lighting controls in processing plants are being upgraded to include energy-efficient fluorescent track lighting, creating a cleaner and whiter environment.
• The Postal Service is exploring several energy saving systems in facilities around the country, including the use of photovoltaic cells, solar panels, geo-thermal panels and wind turbines.
• With the largest civilian fleet of alternative fuel-capable vehicles (43,000), the Postal Service used more than 1 million gallons of alternative fuel and increased E85 fuel consumption by 40 percent last year.