Intel tops green power buyers in U.S.

Intel Corp. is the U.S. largest single purchaser of green power with more than 1 billion kilowatt-hours of green power annually, the Environmental and Protection Agency said on Tuesday.

Intel was awarded by EPA's Green Power Partnership program for purchasing 1.3 billion kWh or 46 percent of its total annual electricity use from a wind energy source which was provided by PNM and Sterling Planet, the EPA noted. The EPA said this is equivalent to the carbon dioxide emissions from the electricity use of nearly 130,000 average American homes.

The EPA has several ways to determine if a power purchase is green. The company can purchase a Renewable Energy Certificate, it can use its own on-site clean power generation, or it can purchase a green power product.

PepsiCo was number two, purchasing 1.1 billion of kWh or 100 percent of its total electricity use; Kohl's Department Stores was third with 600 million kWh or 50 percent of its total use.

The rest of the top 10 were Dell Inc., Whole Foods Market, The Pepsi Bottling Group, Johnson & Johnson, the U.S. Air Force, Cisco systems and the city of Houston. EPA ranks a total of 50 companies.

These green power purchases help reduce the environmental impacts of electricity use and support the development of new renewable generation capacity nationwide, the EPA noted on its website.

Purchase amounts reflect U.S. operations only and are sourced from U.S.-based green power resources.

The University of California, Santa Cruz, and Santa Clara University were also acknowledged for acquiring over 68 million kilowatts of green power together.

With their commitment to use renewable energy, they are setting the standard for others and helping make renewable energy more affordable for all, said Deborah Jordan, the EPA's Air Division director for the Pacific Southwest in a statement.

To see the full list of the Top 50 green power purchasers click here