Corporate America’s Love Affair with Green Power More Than PR Fluff

March 21, 2007

Email this story Print this post Add your comments

A recent CNNMoney.com article asks, how much of recent corporate renewable energy annoucements are PR fluff?

“It’s 98 percent real and 2 percent PR,” Mike Eckhart, president of the American Council on Renewable Energy, says in the article.”The CEOs can’t just pay lip service anymore, the employees read the papers too.”

But it’s not just industry groups that are optimistic. “It’s absolutely no substitute for a federal renewable energy standard or a cap on carbon emissions,” said John Coequyt, an energy policy specialist at Greenpeace. “But it’s certainly a positive first step, and I think their commitment to climate change is pretty sincere at this point.”

In the case of big-box retail stores, with massive roof space and relatively little electricity use, installing solar power makes sense.

There have been many announcements recently concerning solar installations at retail companies. Costco has installed its second solar-powered energy system at its Lake Elsinore, California warehouse. Staples recently unveiled the largest solar power installation in New England at its 300,000-square-foot retail distribution center in Killingly, Connecticut. Tesco, the fourth-largest retail chain in the world, is installing a $13 million solar roof on its five-building, 820,400-square-foot distribution center under construction in Riverside, California. Wal-Mart is already using solar power in its experimental stores and the company put out an RFP to solar electric suppliers soliciting bids on what could amount to a solar installation on the order of 100 megawatts of power over the next five years.

For large scale industrial users, or firms with less room to actually generate power on site, paying someone else through renewable energy credits is another option. Yakima, Barclays, and Salesforce are just a few of the companies that have purchased offsets recently.

This year, for the first time, a corporation leads EPA’s national Top 25 list of green power purchasers. Wells Fargo & Company claimed the top spot, purchasing 550 million kilowatt hours annually.

Email this story Print this post Add your comments

Advertisers

Make sustainability part of your strategy.

Get equipped at the SAP Sustainability Resource Center. >>

Unclear about the EPA's new GHG Rule?

Learn how it could affect your business. >>

EPA mandatory emissions reporting starts Jan 1st

CSA Standards can help your organization get ready for compliance. Find out how. >>

Product Environmental Compliance Best Practices

How to achieve compliance at a significantly lower cost. Download the full report. >>

Join the Discussion

Recent Daily News [ see all ]

11/20/2009
11/19/2009
11/18/2009

Charts [ see all ]

European Paper Industry Cuts CO2 Emissions by 42% since 1990

S. America Takes Most Urgent View of Copenhagen Talks

Nike Tops Annual Climate Action Scores

Oceans May Trap more Carbon than Forests

Jobs

View All Jobs >> Post a Job >>

Comments and Discussions

Trade Association on Trade Group on EPA Chemical Regs: ‘If Everything is a Priority, Then Nothing is a Priority’
"Seriously… that..."

Gary Markowitz on Supermarkets Tackle Emissions Reductions, Fuel Efficiency
"Supermarkets waste over 10 percent of their energy through improper..."

peter in ireland on Ontario May Follow California’s Lead on TV Energy Efficiency
"Governor Schwarzenegger is shooting himself in the foot! 1...."

Environmental Leader on S. America Takes Most Urgent View of Copenhagen Talks
"The survey respondents (the PDF report mentions 4,000 respondents in 38..."

Jake on UPS Trying New Hydraulic Hybrid Trucks
"A point of clarification: the Reuters press release referenced herein reports that 20 UPS will purchase..."

Custom Organic Shirts on S. America Takes Most Urgent View of Copenhagen Talks
"90% of North Americans believe it is urgent to get a global climate..."

peter dublin on California City’s Green Building Ordinance Applies to Commercial Buildings
"Why energy efficiebnt regulation on buildings –..."

Environmental Leader