Intel tops green power list

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Intel Corp. tops the list of organizations buying clean energy, according to a report out this month from the Environmental Protection Agency's Green Power Partnership.

Santa Clara-based Intel, which has its largest employee base in Oregon, bought or generated 1.4 billion killowatt hours of energy last year, covering 51 percent of its power needs through renewable energy generated on-site and purchased through other entities. Renewable resources used by Intel, according to the report, include biogas, biomass, geothermal, small hydro, solar and wind.

Organizations can meet EPA purchase requirements using any combination of three different product options including renewable energy certificates, on-site generation and utility green power products.

Kohls Department Stores came in at No. 2 on the list with close to 1.4 billion killowatt hours bought or generated. Whole Foods Markets Inc. ranked No. 3 with 817 million hours purchased. Kohl's green energy total accounted for 100 percent of the energy it used last year. Whole Foods purchased 108 percent of its energy use.

Oregon State University made the list at No. 50, purchasing 67 million killowatt hours through the Bonneville Environmental Foundation, worth 72 percent of its annual energy use.

Combined, the top 50 largest purchases amount to more than 11.6 billion kilowatt-hours annually.