CHICAGO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Neal Gerber Eisenberg announced today that the firm recently joined the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Green Power Partnership and its mission to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help to protect our planet. Through this partnership, the firm committed to buy 100 percent of its energy needs from green power sources. NGE’s 600,000 kilowatt-hours of annual energy needs will come from 100 percent wind Renewable Energy Credits purchased from AEP Energy. By choosing green power, NGE is advancing the voluntary market for green power and development of those sources.
“NGE is honored to be recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,” said Sonia Menon, Chief Operating Officer for NGE and chair of the firm’s Sustainability Committee. “We are proud to be leaders in the green movement in the legal industry, and by using 100 percent green power we are materially reducing our carbon footprint and supporting the transition to a clean energy future.”
“AEP Energy is committed to working with our customers to deliver custom energy solutions that fit their unique needs and goals,” said Greg Hall, executive vice president of Energy Supply for AEP. “Supplying renewable energy to NGE in the form of RECs is just one example of how AEP Energy provides clean, reliable energy that our customers expect and need to achieve their sustainability objectives.”
By moving the needle in the voluntary green power market, NGE and other Green Power Partners are helping to reduce the negative health impacts of air emissions including those related to ozone, fine particles, acid rain, and regional haze.
“EPA applauds Neal Gerber Eisenberg for its leadership position in the green power marketplace,” said James Critchfield, Program Manager of EPA’s Green Power Partnership. “NGE’s commitment to the environment through this initiative is an excellent example for other law firms and professional services organizations in reducing greenhouse gas emissions through green power investment and use.”
According to the U.S. EPA, NGE’s green power use of more than 600,000 kWh is equivalent to the annual electricity use of about 56 average American homes.
Sustainability is central to NGE’s corporate social responsibility program. The firm was among the first firms to join the EPA and American Bar Association’s Climate Challenge, conforming to requirements of paper use, waste management, and energy conservation under the EPA’s Energy Star Program.
Additionally, NGE has taken a leadership role in the legal industry as a member of the Law Firm Sustainability Network (LFSN), sharing its vision with other green law firms to improve the entire industry’s sustainable practices since 2015. NGE was awarded a Gold rating in 2021 for by LFSN’s American Legal Industry Sustainability Standard (ALISS) assessment, which measures activities across five categories: Internal Sustainability, External Sustainability, Stakeholder Engagement, Measuring & Reporting, and Innovation.
You can learn more about the full scope of NGE’s sustainability initiatives here.
About NGE
Neal Gerber Eisenberg is a leading law firm dedicated to handling sophisticated matters for entrepreneurs, public companies, and private businesses and their owners. Our attorneys provide legal business solutions to public and private entities of all types—including Fortune 100 companies, financial institutions, nonprofits and high net worth individuals—in connection with domestic and global business transactions and litigation. The firm has built over thirty years of trusted partnerships with clients that span the globe, and we meet each unique client need with the same personalized service and collaboration that provide the most practical solutions for every matter
About AEP Energy
AEP Energy, a subsidiary of American Electric Power (Nasdaq: AEP), and its affiliates deliver a wide array of innovative competitive energy solutions nationwide. As a competitive retail and wholesale electricity and natural gas supplier, AEP Energy serves over 700,000 residential and business customers in 28 service territories in six states and Washington, D.C. As one of the largest wholesale suppliers in the country, AEP Energy also specializes in offering customized wholesale power supply products based on the specific needs of our customers’ electric systems within ERCOT, MISO, PJM and SPP. AEP Energy also sells renewable energy through long-term contracts with utilities, electric cooperatives, municipalities and corporate customers. With a commitment to a clean energy future, AEP Energy and its affiliates currently own over 1,900 megawatts of wind, solar and energy storage on both a utility scale and distributed scale basis. Solving energy problems for customers, AEP Energy and its affiliates own and operate over 90 behind-the-meter projects in 26 different states and has an active development pipeline across the U.S. Based in Columbus, Ohio, Chicago, Illinois and San Diego, California, AEP Energy takes pride in making it easy for customers and partners to buy, manage and use energy. For more information, visit www.aepenergy.com.
About EPA’s Green Power Partnership
The Green Power Partnership is a voluntary program that helps increase green power use among U.S. organizations to advance the American market for green power and development of those sources as a way to reduce air pollution and other environmental impacts associated with electricity use. The Partnership currently has approximately 800 Partners voluntarily using 69 billion kilowatt-hours of green power annually. Partners include a wide variety of leading organizations such as Fortune 500® companies; small and medium sized businesses; local, state, and federal governments; and colleges and universities. For additional information, please visit www.epa.gov/greenpower.