Staples Increases Commitment to Renewable Energy with 2011 Sterling Planet Purchase

(3BLMedia/theCSRfeed) FRAMINGHAM, Mass. - Feb. 9, 2011 - Sterling Planet, Inc., a leading national provider of renewable energy and other clean-energy assets, today announced that in 2011 it will supply Staples with renewable energy comprising 50 percent of Staples’ total U.S. electricity usage, more than double the company’s previous annual level.  

Coming from wind energy projects located nationwide, the 338,929,000 kilowatt-hours of renewable energy for Staples is the equivalent of powering more than 31,000 average U.S. homes for the full year. The electricity is used across the company’s facilities, including its retail stores, delivery distribution centers, customer service call centers and sales offices. This year’s renewable energy purchase is more than double the company’s prior annual purchases at the 20 percent level and is a tenfold increase in purchasing quantity since Staples first began buying renewable energy seven years ago.   One of the nation’s largest corporate purchasers of green power, Staples participates in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Green Power Partnership, a voluntary program that supports organizational procurement of green power. Staples is ranked 4th by EPA among all retailers, 6th among Fortune 500 companies and 8^th nationwide. For its environmental leadership, Staples has received two Green Power Purchasing Awards.   “Staples has a long-standing commitment to energy efficiency and renewable power, helping drive environmental and cost reduction benefits,” said Bob Valair, director of energy and environmental management for Staples. “We take a portion of the savings from our energy efficiency measures and invest them in green power, further reducing greenhouse gases and our impact on the planet.”   By improving energy efficiency and increasing the proportion of renewable energy the company purchases, Staples last year reduced its absolute carbon footprint by 7% from a 2001 baseline. The combination of energy efficiency and greater use of renewable energy will result in preventing the release of more than 62,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions into the environment.   “We’re proud to supply Staples with zero-emissions wind energy that meets business needs and also makes sense for the environment and society,” said Mel Jones, president and CEO of Sterling Planet, a leading national clean-energy provider and supplier of renewable energy certificates to Staples. “With its dual commitment to energy efficiency and renewable energy, Staples is making tremendous strides in shrinking its environmental footprint and setting an example of leadership in sustainability initiatives.”   Sterling Planet is providing the renewable energy in the form of Green-e Energy certified renewable energy certificates (RECs). Sold separately from electricity and available to every U.S. residential and commercial customer, Sterling Planet’s RECs represent the avoided greenhouse gas emissions and additional environmental benefits of electricity production from renewable energy resources.   According to the EPA, Staples’ 2011 purchase of Sterling Planet wind RECs will create environmental benefits comparable to avoiding the carbon dioxide emissions of 46,540 passenger vehicles per year or not using 255 million pounds of coal to generate electricity in the conventional way.   About Sterling Planet: Sterling Planet has been a national leader in innovative clean energy solutions since 2000. The first company with a nationwide retail offer of wind, solar, biomass and other forms of renewable energy, Sterling Planet has delivered billions of kilowatt-hours in the form of renewable energy certificates in both voluntary and mandated markets. The client base includes 2,197 corporations, 149 utility partners, 312 government agencies and 74 colleges and other educational institutions. Sterling Planet also offers carbon offsets to offset greenhouse gas emissions and White Tags^TM energy efficiency certificates, which the company introduced to the U.S. in 2006. www.sterlingplanet.com

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