Several local governments are in the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) list of the top 20 on-site green electricity generators, including three of the top five. The top 20 green power generators produce and use 736 million kilowatt hours (kWh) of power on site from solar, wind, geothermal, biomass, biogas and low-impact hydropower sources.

Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts, San Diego and the San Jose/Santa Clara, Calif., Water Pollution Control Plant were listed in the EPA's top five green power producers. By using more than 535 million kWh of on-site green power, the top five producers prevented carbon dioxide emissions equivalent to the emissions from more than 70,000 passenger vehicles a year. "These companies are leading a nationwide move to the clean energy economy, one that can create millions of jobs, reduce our dependence on foreign oil, and protect against global climate change," said EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson in a statement.

View the complete top 20 list.

View more Green Government stories.