The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced that, for the first time, McDonald’s USA, LLC Oakbrook, Illinois, has made its list of the Top 50 green-powered organizations. McDonald’s is number 11 on the 2012 list. It made a commitment to match 30 percent of its electricity use at company-owned restaurants in 2011 and 2012 with renewable energy certificates from U.S. wind sources. It has also reduced energy consumption in its restaurants through multiple energy efficiency initiatives and technical innovations.

Combined, the Top 50 green power partners are using more than 15 billion kilowatt-hours of green power annually. Through their use of green power, these organizations are avoiding carbon pollution equal to that created by electricity use of more than 1.3 million American homes each year.

EPA’s Green Power Partnership works with more than 1,300 partner organizations, over half of which are small businesses and nonprofit organizations, to voluntarily use green power. Green power resources produce electricity with an environmental profile superior to conventional power technologies, and produce significantly fewer greenhouse gas emissions.

“We applaud all of our Green Power Partners for their use of clean, renewable energy. For the first time, each of the Top 50 partners is using more than 100 million kilowatt-hours of green power annually,” said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. “Their actions help to reduce harmful carbon pollution that threatens the health of our planet and the air we breathe, and mark another step toward a new era of clean, innovative American energy.”

More on the Top 50 list and other rankings: www.epa.gov/greenpower/toplists.

More on EPA’s Green Power Partnership: www.epa.gov/greenpower.