The EPA recently updated each of its National Top Partner lists, highlighting some of America's largest green power purchasers. Each list highlights EPA Green Power Partners that have completed the largest annual voluntary purchases through January 5, 2012. For access to the EPA Green Power Top Partner ranking, visit www.epa.gov/greenpower/toplists/top50.htm. Green power is electricity that is generated from environmentally preferable renewable resources, such as wind, solar, geothermal, biogas, biomass, and low-impact hydro. Purchases of green power help accelerate the development of new renewable energy capacity nationwide and help reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the power sector.
"EPA is excited to welcome Ahold USA as a Green Power Partner and congratulates them on making the list of the Top 50 largest green power purchases," said Blaine Collison, Director of EPA's Green Power Partnership. "By opting to purchase renewable energy, Ahold USA is helping to grow the nation's green power market while also reducing greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution."
According to the U.S. EPA, Ahold USA's green power purchase of more than 149 million kWh is equivalent to avoiding the carbon dioxide CO2 emissions of more than 20,000 passenger vehicles per year, or the CO2 emissions from the electricity use of nearly 13,000 average American homes annually.
From stores to distribution centers and corporate support offices, the company has a strong focus on greener efforts. Its newest stores are built with innovative green building technologies that reduce energy consumption, conserve water and reduce the environmental impact of operations. Ahold USA also continues to help its retail divisions make existing stores more energy efficient by utilizing energy efficient light bulbs, turning lights down during off hours, improving the efficiency of refrigerated display cases and installing smaller cooling systems by replacing open frozen food cases with closed door cases.
Ahold USA has been developing its renewable and clean energy portfolio since 2008. Roof-mounted solar photovoltaic systems at thirteen Stop & Shop stores generate between 7 and 10 percent of the stores' annual electricity requirements. In addition to solar power, the Ahold USA team worked with its New England division to construct their first fuel cell project at a Stop & Shop in Torrington, CT, which consumes natural gas to produce electricity and waste heat. The electricity being generated provides 95 percent of the store's annual electricity requirements and the waste heat offsets the gas consumption required to heat the air and hot water for the store.