BOSTON - Ahold USA, based in Quincy, Mass., was acknowledged by E.P.A. as one of the nation's top 100 purchasers of Green Power.
As part of EPA's Green Power Partnership, in excess of 1,300 organizations are purchasing billions of kilowatt-hours of green power annually, avoiding carbon pollution equal to that created by the electricity use of in excess of 2.5 million American homes.
Ahold U.S.A. operates approximately 770 grocery stores in the U.S. under the Stop & Shop, Giant Food, GIANT Food Stores and MARTIN'S Food Markets brands, as well as Peapod, an e-commerce grocery shopping and delivery service. Renewable energy procurement is a significant part of Ahold's global environmental strategy. Combined, Ahold U.S.A. currently purchases over 149 million kWh of green power, and has 37 on-site solar systems, producing 8.9 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) per year, for a total of eight percent of their total electric load.
The company's commitment to renewable energy is part of its "Responsible Retailing" vision towards sustainability-outlined in an yearly report-that encompasses initiatives focused on 5 priority areas: people, products, communities, partners, and the environment. As part of this vision, Ahold U.S.A. has made a commitment to reduce its carbon footprint 20 percent by 2015 from its 2008 baseline. Ahold USA's Joint Committee on Sustainability, which includes major suppliers for the company, meets quarterly to share best practices in sustainability, renewable energy procurement, and energy conservation.
"Ahold U.S.A. and EPA's other Green Power Purchasers are driving the development of new renewable energy sources and demonstrating that green power makes good environmental and business sense," said Curt Spalding, regional administrator of EPA's New England office. "We applaud their efforts and look forward to other organizations following their lead."
Next year, Ahold U.S.A. will complete construction of an anaerobic digester in Massachusetts. The digester will take unsold, non-consumable organic waste from in excess of 200 stores and convert it to biogas to generate electricity and create a byproduct that will be used as a fertilizer. When completed, the facility will process 40,000 tons of organic product annually.
"Ahold U.S.A. and our retail divisions are committed to energy efficiency and environmental stewardship, with the goals to reduce our carbon footprint 20% by the end of this year and to achieve zero waste companywide by 2020," said Marissa Nelson, senior vice president of responsible retailing, Ahold USA. "Thank you to the E.P.A. for recognizing our efforts to build more efficient stores and implement resources that enable us to generate renewable energy. This is an important component of our commitment to being a better and greener neighbor to the communities where we operate."
EPA's Green Power Partnership provides quarterly updated lists of partners using green power in the following categories: K-12 schools, technology and telecommunications, local government, and retail, among others. More information on EPA's Green Power Partnership can be found at: http://epa.gov/greenpower
