PRESS ROOM

BY DIANNA HEITZ 

FEB 07, 2008

WASHINGTON – Fortune 500 companies are vying for more than just the top spot in the business world: they’re also competing for who has the greenest energy.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released a list recently of the 53 Fortune 500 companies that purchase eco-friendly energy. Among their top ten were Intel Corp, followed by companies as diverse as PepsiCo, Whole Foods and Starbucks.

Collectively, the companies purchased more than 6 billion kilowatt-hours of green power last year – that’s about enough to power almost 670,000 homes annually, according to the EPA.

“RECs are the easiest and one of the most cost effective ways for individual consumers and businesses to purchase renewable energy,” said Gabe Petlin, Director of Regulatory Affairs and Carbon Markets at 3Degrees, a company that sells RECs.

These renewable energy sources include wind or solar power.

Starbucks Coffee Co., No. 9 on the list, wants to keep its coffee bean farmers in business, which led to its green purchases, according to Ben Packard, head of Corporate Social Responsibility for Starbucks.

“As a company that sells products dependent on agricultural conditions, we understand that our farmers will feel the impacts of climate change first and most directly,” Packard said. “Climate change poses a legitimate business risk with potential negative impacts to farmers and their families in coffee growing communities around the world.”

For other companies, ramping up their green power purchases fit with what their customers want.

“There’s a very natural tie-in with the brand and their company base,” Critchfield said. “They feel green power is a very good way to address their customers and show they care about the environment.”