Dozens of Silicon Valley Companies Voluntarily Reduce CO2 Emissions

SAN JOSE, Calif., October 25, 2006—Sustainable Silicon Valley, a non-profit collaboration of
businesses, governments, academic institutions and non-governmental organizations that are identifying
and addressing environmental and resource pressures in the Valley, today released its second annual
carbon dioxide emissions reductions report.

The Sustainable Silicon Valley (SSV) CO2 Report 2006, which highlights the accomplishments of 37
SSV public and private sector partners including Adobe and City of San Jose, found that reporting
partners reduced their CO2 emissions by more than 477,000 tons through energy efficiency initiatives and
increasing use of renewable energy sources. This year saw a 28 percent increase over avoided emissions
from what was reported in its CO2 Report 2005—the equivalent to saving more one million barrels of oil
or taking more than 93,000 automobiles off the road for one year.

“This initiative demonstrates that collaborative partnerships can save energy, reduce costs and help the
environment. Increasing numbers of Silicon Valley organizations are proactively taking actions that
support our regional goal of reducing CO2 emissions by 20% by 2010 and this year’s results prove that
voluntary actions are a powerful tool for making positive changes,” said Jennifer Smith Grubb,
Sustainable Silicon Valley’s president. “We are thrilled to be working together to help organizations
showcasing the successes they are making toward the goal of reducing CO2 emissions in Silicon Valley
by 20 percent by 2010.”

In another sign that organizations want to voluntarily reduce emissions, the number of pledging partners
increased from 19 in 2005 to 43 in 2006, an increase of 126 percent. And they are making a difference.
SSV partners with data from 2000 report a 12 percent reduction in CO2 emissions from 2000 to 2005: by
comparison, the overall region saw a decrease of two percent from 2000 to 2005. While regional CO2
emissions increased 11 percent from 1990 to 2005, SSV partners have reported reductions in emissions in
every year since 1995, with a median reduction below baseline of 7.9 percent in 2005.
Initiatives can involve improvements in lighting and HVAC systems, adding monitoring and controls,
increasing use of renewable energy sources, offering incentives to purchase hybrid cars and building zero
carbon emission buildings.

Specific partner accomplishments from the CO2 Report 2006:

• Agilent actively engages employees in energy saving practice campaigns. As a result of measures
such as adding lighting controls; upgrading building heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning
(HVAC) systems/controls; and consolidating office space, Agilent has reduced energy use for fivestraight years, including a four percent reduction in fiscal year 2005.
• ALZA committed to reduce its CO2 emissions seven percent by 2010 and is using landfill gas from
the City of Mountain View in an on- site cogeneration project.
• Cisco Systems has implemented a number of energy efficiency and green house gas reduction
measures, which have led to a reduction in energy use of 21 million kWh and are estimated to result
in a total of 38,500 tons of CO2 emissions avoided. Combined energy efficiency programs in San José
have led to savings of more than $5.0 million in electricity costs since fiscal year 2004.
• The City of Palo Alto’s Regional Water Quality Control Plant completed a pipeline and conversion
project in 2005 to burn methane gas from the Palo Alto Landfill in its sludge incinerator. The project
is estimated to reduce natural gas use at the plant by over 33 percent and save over $250,000 per year.
In meeting its goal of a 20 percent renewable energy share of total electric utility supply, Palo Alto
awarded five renewable energy supply contracts to purchase energy from new wind and land fill gas
facilities over a 15-25 year period. Once fully operational, this energy will comprise 17-20 percent of
the total electric supply. PaloAltoGreen, Palo Alto’s voluntary 100 percent renewable energy
program, achieved the highest percentage participation of any such program in the country in 2005,
earning the #1 slot on the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s “Top Ten” list of green power
programs.
• Foothill-De Anza Community College District generates on-site power. It has four 60 kW
Capstone micro-turbines at each campus. De Anza College has a 201 kW solar electric shade system
atop a parking structure that tracks the sun’s movement and Foothill College has a stationary 100
kW solar electric shade system. These and other energy efficiency measures will lower the District’s
electricity purchases by 46 percent — more than 11 million kWh a year — and save the District as
much as $800,000 annually.
• Hyperion is reducing CO2 emissions, improving air quality and saving oil by giving employees a
$5,000 cash bonus incentive to purchase cars that get at least 45 mpg. Hyperion has committed a
million dollars annually to encourage employees to actively reduce CO2 emissions.
• Integrated Design Associates, which designs highly energy efficient and sustainable electrical and
lighting systems for buildings including three that are applying for LEED Platinum Certification,
bought a 45 year-old building for new headquarters and assembled a team to push the energy
efficiency envelope in a sustainable remodel. The result will be a net zero utility-supplied energy use
and zero carbon emission building--one of the first commercial buildings of its kind in the country.
Due to open next spring, the building will be extra high efficiency and use photovoltaics to generate
enough electricity to cover 100 percent of its needs.

SSV partners pledge to reduce CO2 emissions and report their progress annually. Through SSV’s
educational forums, partners share lessons learned and benefit from experts in energy efficiency and
renewable sources of energy.

About Sustainable Silicon Valley

Sustainable Silicon Valley (SSV) is a non-profit collaboration of businesses, governments, academic
institutions and non-governmental organizations that are identifying and addressing environmental and
resource pressures in the Valley. As its first initiative, SSV is engaging prominent Valley organizations to
work towards a goal of reducing regional CO2 emissions 20% below 1990 levels by 2010. For more
information, please visit www.sustainablesiliconvalley.org .

http://www.sustainablesiliconvalley.org/docs/2006_SSV_CO2_Report.pdf