Companies That Buy Green Power
(Page 3 of 3)
Sept. 10, 2008
By Aly Van Dyke
Wells Fargo has purchased 5.5 million kWh in RECs from wind-energy providers this year. The company is also a member of the Green Power Leadership Club and a 2007 Partner of the Year. Wells Fargo has made many other commitments to reducing its impact on the environment, including LEED certifying its buildings.
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In 2006 and 2007, Whole Foods Market purchased enough green power to compensate for 100 percent of its energy use, totaling over 5 million kWh annually.
With the recent acquisition of Wild Oats and the addition of more stores, Whole Foods Market won't meet 100 percent of its electricity use with green power purchases this year — however, the company is investing in additional environmental projects as part of its mission to reduce its impact on the environment.
“[Buying RECs] is another way for use to walk our talk,” says Whole Foods Market spokesperson Ashley Hawkins. “We are always working harder and harder to see what we can do. Who knows what’s beyond the horizon.”
Other organizations ranking high on the Green Power Partners list are Starbucks, Johnson & Johnson and the University of Pennsylvania.
The Big Question
Seventy percent of the green power purchases in the EPA partnership are RECs — credits for power added to the grid from renewable resources.
While RECs have been hailed by some as a key tool for renewable energy investments, they also have been met with criticism. Some refer to the purchase of energy credits, rather than actual reduction of carbon emissions, as “checkbook environmentalism.”
What do you think? Are RECs good investments in renewable energy, or are they just an easy way for companies to justify carbon usage? Tell us your thoughts by commenting below.
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