The company says it is the largest wind energy credit purchase in the history of the United States and Canada and makes it the only Fortune 500 Company purchasing wind energy credits to offset 100 percent of its electricity use.
"Offsetting 100% of our electricity use with renewable, clean energy strengthens our commitment to be a leader in environmental stewardship by helping to clean the air and reducing our dependence on fossil fuels," said Michael Besancon, Whole Foods Market Southern Pacific regional president and Green Mission task force leader.
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. The company says that 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.
"Whole Foods Market has made the largest ever corporate purchase of renewable energy credits in the nation," said Kurt Johnson, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Green Power Partnership director. "Conventional electricity generation is the largest industrial source of air pollution in the United States and wind power is a clean and renewable alternative. Whole Foods Market's commitment to wind power is providing an outstanding example of environmental leadership."
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.
