Whole Foods Market, one of the leading supermarket chains in the United States, has received the ‘Green Power Partner of the Year’ award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for the third time. Whole Foods Market was one of only four organisations and the only grocer to win the award.
The competitive Green Power Partner of the Year award recognises EPA Green Power Partners who distinguish themselves through their purchase, leadership, overall strategy and impact on the green power market. Whole Foods Market was recognised for increasing its green power purchasing to include nearly 818 mn kWh of green power in 2010, which is enough green power to exceed 100 percent of the company’s purchased electricity use.
According to the EPA, 818 mn kWh of renewable energy credits (RECs) is the equivalent amount of electricity needed to power more than 71,000 average American homes annually.
For 2011, Whole Foods Market has committed to purchasing RECs from NextEra Energy Resource’s EarthEra program, 3 Degrees and Renewable Choice Energy. This will be the fifth year the company has offset 100 percent of its purchased electricity use.
“Whole Foods Market has committed to reducing energy consumption by 25 percent per square foot by 2015 and use a comprehensive alternative energy approach to reduce reliance on fossil fuels including a mix of on-site solar power and fuel cells and electricity offsets from wind power,” said Kathy Loftus, global leader of sustainable engineering and energy management for Whole Foods Market. “We’re proud to be recognised once again by EPA for our commitment to the development of the nation’s green power market.”
Whole Foods Market currently ranks third on EPA’s National Top 50 Partners list, which highlights EPA Green Power Partners that have completed the largest annual voluntary purchases through July 6, 2010. The company was the first Fortune 500 company to purchase wind energy credits for 100 percent of its electricity use across U.S. operations. From 2004-2007, Whole Foods Market earned EPA Green Power awards, and in 2006 and 2007, the company received Green Power Partner of the Year awards.
Whole Foods Market received the honour at an October 20 awards event at the National Renewable Energy Markets Conference in Portland, Ore.
– IndiaRetailing Bureau
