RoAnn M. Destito, Commissioner of the New York State Office of General Services (OGS), today announced that OGS has received a 2018 EPEAT award for excellence in sustainable electronics procurement by the Green Electronics Council (GEC). The winners were recently announced at an event in Minneapolis, MN.

EPEAT is a free and trusted source of environmental product rating system that makes it easier for buyers to select high-performance electronics that support their organization’s IT and sustainability goals. This marks the second year in a row that OGS has received this honor.

“Governor Cuomo has sought to place New York at the forefront of green and sustainable initiatives, and we are pleased that the Green Electronics Council has once again recognized our efforts to encourage the purchase of EPEAT-registered IT products throughout the state,” Commissioner Destito said. “Over their lifetime, the purchase of these EPEAT-registered products will help protect the environment, reduce energy consumption, and save taxpayer dollars.”

Since 2008, OGS has included a requirement in its aggregate computer hardware buy that all desktops, notebooks, and tablets meet EPEAT requirements. An aggregate buy is how New York State uses its buying power to get the best final pricing for items sold on state contracts and purchased in bulk by state agencies, local governments, schools, and nonprofits. When creating these bulk IT contracts, OGS asks businesses to base their prices on the anticipated volume of computers that will be purchased by all contract users over the course of a year.

On average, more than 155,000 computers and displays are purchased through the OGS computer hardware aggregate buy each year. Purchasers receive on average a 45 percent discount off state contract prices, which saves them approximately $78.3 million annually. Additionally, equipment purchased through this program helps reduce hazardous and solid waste and greenhouse gas emissions.

Over their lifetime, the 115,059 EPEAT-registered IT products purchased by State contract users in 2017 will:

• Avoid the disposal of 90 metric tons of hazardous waste, which is equal to the weight of 728 refrigerators.
• Save at least 36,500 MWh of electricity, which is enough to power 2,858 U.S. households for a year.
• Lower greenhouse gas emissions by at least 5,970 metric tons, which is the equivalent of taking 4,292 average U.S. passenger cars off the road for a year.
• Reduce the use of primary materials by 10,700 metric tons, which is equal to the weight of 2,058 semi-trucks.

The EPEAT rating system began in 2003 with a stakeholder process convened by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and has grown to become the definitive global environmental rating system for electronics. Managed by the Green Electronics Council, EPEAT currently tracks more than 4,400 products from more than 60 manufacturers across 43 countries.