Sustainability Awards

BPA has won over a dozen awards for the agency’s achievements in reducing its environmental footprint from operations.

2023

BPA’s Pollinator Workgroup was chosen to receive this national award for enhancing pollinator habitat in Forest Park in Portland, OR. The Pollinator Workgroup is a cross-agency team comprised of employees committed to protecting pollinators. BPA partnered with Portland Parks & Recreation and Metro to improve pollinator habitat on over 60 acres of BPA rights-of-way in the park. In addition to providing a beautiful mix of low-growing native vegetation that feeds pollinators, BPA’s maintenance time and costs have declined up by up to 80% on this right-of-way.

2019

2018

  • DOE Sustainability Award, Outstanding Sustainability Project
  • EPA Federal Green Challenge, Innovation

BPA completed three xeriscaping pilot projects at three of its substations, which saved approximately 2 million gallons of water in a single year. The projects eliminated the need for landscaping, reduced water consumption from irrigation, and increased the ability to manage stormwater runoff. Some co-benefits of this project included lower maintenance costs, reduced ecological impact from fertilizers and herbicides, and increased habitat for pollinators.

  • EPA Federal Green Challenge (National), Materials Management

BPA recovered 92% from the landfill in FY17. To achieve this remarkable diversion rate, the agency’s highest-impact facilities (Portland headquarters and the Ross Complex) undergo waste audits every few years to determine the makeup and contamination level of its landfill, recycling, and compost materials streams. BPA’s Investment Recovery Center is also instrumental in the responsible diversion of unwanted or surplus materials.

  • EPA Federal Green Challenge (Regional), Purchasing

BPA reduced its printer and copier paper purchases by over 16% between FY16 and FY17. To minimize paper use by individuals, BPA implements default double-sided printing and the auto-deletion of print jobs that sit too long the printing queue. Beyond this, BPA policy requires that large print jobs go through the Print Shop, promoting a “think twice” mentality around large print jobs.

2017 

  • EPA Federal Green Challenge, Leadership
  • EPA Federal Green Challenge, Electronics 
  • DOE Sustainability Awards, Data Center Efficiency

2016 

  • EPA Federal Green Challenge, Purchasing 
  • EPA Federal Green Challenge, Waste
  • Association of Oregon Recyclers, Recycler of the Year (Government), Kevin Kertzman

2015

  • EPA Federal Green Challenge, Waste, Seattle Federal Office Building Green Team

2014

  • EPA Federal Green Challenge, Transportation 
  • NEEA Kilowatt Crackdown, Highest Performing Building (Inaugural Year), Portland headquarters

2013

  • DOE Sustainability Awards, Sustainable Communications

2012

  • EPA Federal Electronics Challenge, Platinum

2011

  • EPA Federal Electronics Challenge, Silver 
  • DOE Achievement Award, Fugitive Emissions Working Group