PHILADELPHIA — Officials from Major League Baseball, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), Green-e Energy and WindStreet Energy, as well as Pennsylvania Gov. Edward G. Rendell and Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter, joined the Philadelphia Phillies April 30 in announcing a major initiative at Citizens Bank Park to aid in the efforts for a cleaner environment.

To offset the carbon footprint created by the team's utility power usage at Citizens Bank Park, the Phillies have purchased 20 million kilowatt-hours of Green-e Energy Certified Renewable Energy Certificates.  According to the EPA, this is the largest single purchase of 100 percent renewable energy in professional sports and is equal to the planting of 100,000 trees.

The Phillies are the first Major League Baseball team to join the EPA's Green Power Partnership program, a voluntary program that encourages organizations to buy green power as a way to reduce the environmental impacts associated with purchased electricity use.  According to the EPA, the team is the third largest Green Power Partner in Philadelphia and seventh largest Green Power Partner in Pennsylvania.

This initiative also reinforces Major League Baseball's "Team Greening Program" and its commitment to support and coordinate the many environmentally sensitive practices at each ballclub, created in partnership with the NRDC.

The Phillies' efforts for a cleaner environment have been in collaboration with Citizens Bank Park operators Global Spectrum, a Comcast-Spectacor subsidiary, and ARAMARK, the Phillies food and beverage provider — which have both been instrumental in a number of initiations, including the recycling of frying oil to be used as biofuel and other recycling programs, utilizing energy conservation using the Building Management System and Light Control System, converting to LED lighting, placing recycling containers throughout the ballpark for fans to use and giving "Red Goes Green Cards" to all full-time Phillies employees, including players and coaches, die a one-year credit to secure clean, renewable energy for their home consumption, compliments of the Phillies and WindStreet Energy.

Symbolizing their commitment, the entire Phillies team wore green baseball caps for their April 30 game against the San Diego Padres and the team gave away one-year Red Goes Green Cards to 100 fans.

For more information, go to www.phillies.com/redgoesgreen.