Kohl’s, Motorola, TD Bank, Whole Foods Named as EPA Green Power Partners of the Year

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced the winners of the agency’s 10th annual Green Power Leadership awards that honor 18 Green Power Partners in four categories: Green Power Partners, Green Power Purchasing, On-Site Generation, and new this year, Green Power Community of the Year.

Together, these award winners are using more than 5 billion kilowatt-hours of green power annually, equivalent to the annual carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions of more than 700,000 vehicles, according to the EPA.

EPA has named Kohl’s Department Stores, Motorola, TD Bank, and Whole Foods Market as Green Power Partners of the Year for their achievements in using green power and cutting GHG emissions.

Here’s why these four companies top the list.

Kohl’s increased its green power purchase from 2009 to 2010 by 60 percent from approximately 850 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) to more than 1.3 billion kWh, achieving 100 percent green power use. Kohl’s also tops the EPA’s Top 20 Retail List and National Top 50 Purchasers List.

Kohl’s is one of the world’s largest retail solar hosts, with almost 100 solar systems activated in California, New Jersey, Wisconsin, and Connecticut. The company retains renewable energy certificates (RECs) for one-third of these installations. Ten additional systems are under construction. Kohl’s activated solar arrays provide 20 to 40 percent of the power to each store, generating approximately 15 million kWh of green power annually.

Motorola joined the Green Power Partnership in 2009 and has already increased its REC purchase by more than 50 percent, from approximately 78 million kWh to 119 million kWh. Motorola’s green power purchase represents more than 30 percent of its United States electricity use, which also earned the company a spot on the EPA’s National Top 50 Purchasers List.

In 2010, TD Bank purchased more than 240 million kilowatt-hours RECs. These wind-derived RECs supply 100 percent of the bank’s electricity needs. TD Bank’s purchase ranks among the top 20 in the Green Power Partnership.

Whole Foods Market was the first Fortune 500 company to purchase wind power for 100 percent of its electricity use across its United States operations, according to the EPA. In 2010, the retail chain increased its purchase to 815 million kilowatt-hours of wind-based RECs. The retailer also topped the EPA’s National Top 50 Purchasers List and Top 20 Retail List.

While the majority of Whole Foods Market’s green power consists of RECs, green power is produced through solar systems located on a distribution center and 14 retail stores across the nation. The retailer also has installed fuel cell systems at two of its stores, and is installing a 100 percent bio-fuel generator at one of its commissaries, and is evaluating on-site wind.

Other winners by category include:

–Green Power Purchasing: BD, BNY Mellon, Carnegie Mellon University, Chicago Public Schools, Harris Bank, Indianapolis Zoo, Intel, Pearson, Port of Portland, and the State of Illinois

–On-site Generation: City of San Francisco and Phoenix Press

–Green Power Communities of the Year Award: Park City, Utah and, Corvallis, Oregon
Courtesy  of  Environmental Leader


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