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EPA Recognizes Whole Foods Market With a Green Power Leadership Award - Whole Foods Market Receives EPA Green Power Partner of the Year Award

Release Date: 10/20/2010
Contact Information: Dave Bary or Joe Hubbard at 214-665-2200 or r6press@epa.gov

(DALLAS – October 20, 2010) The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has recognized Whole Foods Market of Austin, Texas, as a Green Power Partner of the Year for its achievement in using green power, helping grow the nation’s voluntary green power market and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

The award was presented today during the annual Green Power Leadership Awards Banquet in Portland, Oregon. Awards are given in four categories: Partner of the Year; Green Power Purchasing; On-Site Generation; and, new this year, Green Power Community of the Year.

Whole Foods Market was one of only four organizations nationwide to be chosen as a Green Power Partner of the Year. The award recognizes EPA Green Power Partners who have distinguished themselves through their purchase, leadership, overall strategy, and impact on the green power market. Whole Foods Market is currently purchasing nearly 818 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of green power annually, which is 100 percent of the company’s purchased electricity use. The purchase of nearly 818 million kWh is equivalent to reducing the carbon dioxide emissions of more than 112,000 passenger vehicles per year and is the equivalent amount of electricity needed to power more than 71,000 average American homes annually.

EPA, through the Green Power Partnership, works with nearly 1,300 partner organizations to voluntarily purchase green power to reduce the environmental impacts of conventional electricity use. Green power is electricity generated from renewable resources such as solar, wind, geothermal, biogas, and low-impact hydro. Green power produces no net increase of greenhouse gas emissions.

More information on the awards is available at https://www.epa.gov/greenpower/awards/winners.htm

More information on EPA’s Green Power Partnership is available at https://www.epa.gov/greenpower

More about activities in EPA Region 6 is available at https://www.epa.gov/region6

EPA audio file is available at https://www.epa.gov/region6/6xa/podcast/oct2010.html