Price Chopper Among EPA’s ‘Green Power Purchasers”

Price Chopper Supermarkets has been named among the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA's) Top 20 Retail list of the largest green power purchasers for its investments in sustainable solutions.

“Price Chopper is committed to reducing energy usage, carbon impacts and investing in sustainable and renewable technologies,” said Bill Sweet, Price Chopper’s VP, engineering and construction. “As we continue to build and renovate our facilities, our collaborative partnerships with government agencies, advisory groups, NGO’s, equipment innovators and contractors ensure the viability of our commitment across our 6-state footprint well beyond the 21st century.”

Price Chopper purchases 12 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of green power annually which is approximately 3.4 percent of the organization's electricity use. Green power is electricity that is generated from renewable resources, such as wind, solar, geothermal, biogas, biomass and low-impact hydro. Purchases of green power lead to the further development of new renewable energy production infrastructure nationwide, thereby helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions generated by the power sector.

“EPA is excited to welcome Price Chopper as a Green Power Partner and congratulates them on their appearance in the Top 20 Retail list of largest green power purchasers,” said Blaine Collison, director of EPA’s Green Power Partnership. “By opting to purchase renewable energy, Price Chopper is helping to grow the nation’s voluntary green power market while also reducing greenhouse gas emissions.”

According to the U.S. EPA, Price Chopper Supermarkets' green power purchase of 12 million kWh is equivalent to avoiding the carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions of nearly 2,000 passenger vehicles per year or the CO2 emissions from the electricity use of more than 1,000 average American homes annually.

“EPA’s Green Power Partners consistently raise the bar for using clean, renewable electricity,” said Gina McCarthy, EPA assistant administrator for the office of air and radiation. "Price Chopper’s commitment to using green power serves as an example of leadership for others to follow.”

Price Chopper is actively advancing its corporate social responsibility platform and to that end is pursuing a variety of other environmentally sustainable solutions including:

• Recycling more than 75 percent of construction waste (rather than disposing of it in landfills or incinerators) on all new ground up construction projects.
• Designing the use of natural lighting throughout the store to reduce electrical consumption
• Utilizing environmentally sustainable building materials throughout the store with a high degree of recycled content
• Obtaining (where available) local construction materials to minimize environmental impacts from transportation
• Installing state-of-the-art refrigeration equipment to minimize ozone depleting refrigerant charges
• Recovering the heat from the refrigeration system and reusing it for space heating and hot water production for use at store level.
• Recycling waste produce from trimming through a hydrator process which reduces the produce to “gray water” and eliminates waste from being transported and disposed of at landfills. (at select store locations only)
• Utilizing high efficiency, lighting systems throughout the store and in exterior signage

The EPA updates its National Top Green Power Partners lists quarterly at http://www.epa.gov/greenpower/toplists/. Each list highlights companies/organizations that have completed the largest annual voluntary purchases (this current ranking includes purchase through October 5, 2011.)

Schenectady, N.Y.-based, Golub Corporation owns and operates 128 Price Chopper grocery stores in New York, Vermont, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and New Hampshire.