Whole Foods Market (WFMI), has made a landmark purchase of renewable energy credits from wind farms to offset 100% of the electricity used in all of its stores, facilities, bake houses, distribution centers, regional offices and national headquarters in the United States and Canada. This is the largest wind energy credit purchase in the history of the United States and Canada, and makes Whole Foods Market the only Fortune 500 Company purchasing wind energy credits to offset 100% of its electricity use.
As of December 9, 2005, Whole Foods Market is purchasing more than 458,000 megawatt-hours (MWh) of renewable energy credits from wind farms. This purchase will avoid more than 700 million pounds of carbon dioxide pollution this year. To have the same environmental impact, more than 60,000 cars would have to be taken off the road or more than 90,000 acres of trees would have to be planted.
Renewable energy credits make nationwide wind power transactions possible since it would be physically impossible to deliver electrons from a wind farm directly to all of Whole Foods Market’s stores, facilities, and businesses. When a wind farm produces electricity, renewable energy credits are issued to track the exact amount of power created.
Whole Foods Market has chosen Boulder, Colorado-based Renewable Choice Energy as its exclusive supplier of renewable energy credits after an extensive search process. Renewable Choice Energy is a national provider, building the market for clean and renewable sources of energy.
To help evaluate options and facilitate the purchasing process, Whole Foods Market involved the Washington, DC-based nonprofit environmental think tank World Resources Institute (WRI). “By making this purchase, Whole Foods Market is taking a huge step toward advancing corporate renewable energy purchases,” said Jonathan Lash, WRI president.
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