Creve Coeur is the second community in Missouri to achieve the award by reducing energy consumption throughout the city by 3 percent.
Mark Smith, chief of the region's EPA Air Permitting and Compliance branch, presented the award to Mayor Barry Glantz on Tuesday evening at Millennium Park.
Creve Coeur is the 47th Green Power Community in the United States, Smith said in an interview before the presentation. It's the second city, behind Clayton, to achieve the status in Missouri.
Communities achieve the status in several different ways. Smith said one of the ways is buy purchasing any combination of wind or solar power, or a variety of other options that generate renewable electricity.
"Once they do that, they sign an agreement with the EPA as part of our recognition event," Smith said. "The only other requirement is that they report annually their use and purchases of that type of power."
Creve Coeur achieved its goal for energy reduction earlier this year. The city's target threshold was set at 3 percent reduced energy consumption.
"Three percent is a pretty modest reduction," Glantz said. "There were times we were concerned whether we would achieve it. But we did. It's a tribute to residents and businesses and civic leaders working together."
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