EPA Recognizes Top Green Power Purchasers

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February 3, 2011

Intel Corp. and Kohl’s Department Stores topped the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) list of the top 50 partner organizations using the most renewable electricity.

Intel Corp., the largest single purchaser of green power, increased its commitment by nearly doubling its annual green power usage to more than 2.5 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh). This is the largest green power purchase to date in the EPA’s Green Power Partnership program, and is equivalent to avoiding the carbon dioxide emissions from the electricity use of more than 218,000 average American homes, according to the EPA.

Kohl’s, second on the national top 50 list, joined Intel as the only two partners using more than 1 billion kWh of green power. Kohl’s increased its green power purchase to more than 1.4 billion kWh of green power annually. Whole Foods landed in third place on the top 50 list, while Staples (No. 8) more than doubled its green power commitment and Best Buy (No. 31) made its debut on the list this year.

In addition to Kohl’s, Whole Foods, Staples and Best Buy, other top 50 retailers on the list include, Walmart (No. 12), Lowes (No.36) and Safeway (No. 42).

Purchases of green power -- generated from renewable resources such as solar, wind, geothermal, biogas, biomass, and low-impact hydropower -- accelerate the nation’s voluntary green power market and reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other harmful pollutants.

“EPA’s Green Power partners are tapping into America’s growing clean energy market and powering the economy of the future,” said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. “Investments like these are smart for business, foster growth in the green energy sector and help protect our health through cleaner air.”

EPA’s Green Power Partnership works with more than 1,300 partner organizations to voluntarily purchase green power to reduce the environmental impacts of conventional electricity use. Overall, partners are using more than 19.2 billion kWh of green power annually, equivalent to avoiding the CO2 emissions from the electricity use of nearly 1.7 million average American homes.

The EPA also tracks the top 20 retail Green Power Partners. In addition to those that made the national top 50 list, the following retailers were named to the top 20 retail list: REI, H-E-Butt Grocery Co., Giant Eagle, Aveda, Office Depot and Macy’s, to name a few.

GRD Views: Congratulations to Kohl’s and the entire Top 20 Retail Purchasers of Green Power. We are committed to providing ongoing recognition of the EPA Green Power program in the interest of encouraging more retailers to break into the all industry Top 50 list. We believe retail has the opportunity to truly lead as an industry in the adoption of Green Power. -- John Failla for Green Retail Decisions

Read These Related Articles:

• Kohl's, Staples Named EPA Green Power Partners of the Year
• Kohl's and Whole Foods Named EPA Green Power Partners of the Year
• Walmart to Convert Most California Stores to Solar Power
• Ikea U.S. President Cites Sustainability as Key Business Strategy
• Lord & Taylor to Purchase Wind Energy for New York Stores

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