Environmental Leader

Postmaster General John Potter has called on employees to unplug, turn off lights, close doors, and become personally responsible for conservation.

Potter announced a year-long campaign to increase awareness and energy conservation. The Postal Service has set a goal to reduce energy use 30 percent by 2015. Scheduled capital investments will also be made annually in energy conservation measures, primarily for lighting and HVAC upgrades.

Efforts include a Utility Management System pilot project started 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.

Energy audits are ongoing at 500 of the largest energy-consuming buildings in the postal inventory. These buildings represent 40 percent of all facilities and approximately 60 percent of the Postal Service’s energy consumption.

In July, the U.S. Postal Service announced it wants to green 90 percent of its fleet. A pilot e-waste recycling program was also launched earlier this year.

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