Intel, Motorola, Kohl’s, Wal-Mart and Pepsico are among 17 of the biggest names in retail, telecommunications, energy and other business sectors recognized by the United States Environmental Protection Agency for their voluntary acts that help advance the green power market.

The agency commended the companies on Wednesday at the 9th Green Power Leadership Awards held in Atlanta, Georgia for initiatives such as purchasing green power, on-site renewable energy generation, green education, and adoption of energy efficiency and sustainability measures.

The agency’s green power awards are handed under the Green Power Partnership, an initiative with over 1,100 partner organizations that encourage the voluntary purchase of green power to reduce the environmental impacts of conventional electricity use.

The awardee-partners’ cumulative annual green power commitment total 2.8 billion kilowatt-hours, equivalent to avoiding carbon dioxide emissions of about 375,000 vehicles.

Intel Corporation, also named a Green Power Partner, has been the country’s largest voluntary corporate buyer of green power since 1998. Its current purchase of more than 1.3 billion kWh of green power is equal to almost half of its annual electricity use in the United States.

The information technology company leads the agency’s National Top 50 and Fortune 500 purchaser lists. Intel has also completed installation of on-site photovoltaic systems at its New Mexico and Oregon facilities.

Kohl’s Department Stores, another Green Power Partner, closely trails Intel with its current commitment of 600 million kilowatt hours of green power use. Like Intel, the retail company’s commitment supplies more than 50 percent of its electricity needs.

Telecommunications company and manufacturer Motorola Inc. was honored with one of the Green Power Purchasing awards for having increased its green power purchase by 55 percent from last year, which now totals 78 million kilowatt-hours of wind-generated renewable energy certificates.

Motorola’s wind power purchase puts it on the top 20 of the Green Power Partnership’s Fortune 500 Challenge. The company also encourages environmental activities among its employees worldwide and has been implementing recycling schemes in its production.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc., through its installation of photovoltaic arrays in its California sites and continued purchase of wind power, has bought 240 million kWh of electricity generated from renewable sources. Another top-notcher in the Fortune 500 companies list, the retail company was honored with the Onsite Generation award by the agency.

A full list of the awardees under all award categories has been released by the agency.

The agency co-sponsors the awards with the Department of Energy and the Center for Resource Solutions.





-   Jen Balboa