Intel tops EPA green power partnership ranking
Intel uses 2.5 billion kWh of green power per year, giving the company the top spot in the US Environmental Protection Agency’s latest Green Power Partnership ranking for the Fortune 5000. The EPA Partnership is a voluntary program that encourages corporate purchase of renewable energy in the US.
According to the EPA figures, Intel now buys 88% of its electricity from green sources, consisting of a mix of purchased power from Sterling Planet and PNM, as well as some on-site generation. Sources of power include geothermal, biomass, small hydro, solar, and wind.
Also high on the rankings was Microsoft, who came in third with 1.12 billion kWh of green power purchased per year. 46% of Microsoft’s power was green, supplied also by Sterling Planet, the EPA noted.
ICT firms that also made the list include Cisco Systems (269 million kWh, 10th place), Sprint (176 mllion kWh, 14th place), Dell (119 million kWh, 19th place), and Google (103.4 million kWh, 22th place). Another Google firm, Motorola Mobility also made the list at 25th place, while Intel’s chip rival, AMD (27th), Xerox (34th), Applied Materials (37th), made up all the IT & Telecoms firms in the top 40.
Apple Computers, who has had to endured a sustained marketing blitz from Greenpeace over allegations of relying too much on coal for its data centres, was also listed on the list. It’s Austin, Texas facility was placed in 45th place with an annual purchased of some 12.8 million kWh, which was enough to meet 100% of its electricity requirements.
What should be noted is that the above rankings is based on the absolute amount of green power purchased, and not on the percentage of green power that actually runs a company’s operations.
Out of the companies that reported 100% green power usage, Datapipe scored the highest ranking for IT & Telecoms firms with an annual green power consumption of 55.9 million kWh, followed by Nokia USA with 40 million kWh.
Ricoh Production Print Solutions, Codero, EasyStreet Online Services, Workday, XMission Internet, Green House Data, Aviat Networks, Dotster, Other World Computing, VerticalResponse, ReCellular, Avectra, DECISIVE ANALYTICS, Canvas Dreams, iCIMS, Green Geeks, GrayHair Software, Votenet Solutions, 3 TIER, Altova, Community IT Innovators, Madison Computer Works, REAL-COMP, Varsity Technologies, PC Guru, Soho Network Services, Affordable Internet Services Online, Studio eBusiness, Network Cybernetics, Supplylogix, Bates Investigations, Sandwich.Net, Invisible Gold, Island Joe Group, Vertex Technology Management, Maine.Info, and Alchemy Host, also made the 100% renewable powered list with usage figures ranging from more than 12.3 million kWh, to as little as 1000 kWh.
Interestingly, Apple’s Austin facility, which was listed as part of the Fortune 5000 list, was not included in the 100% green powered list although it is listed as getting 100% of its energy from renewable sources.
Lastly, it is worth noting that a lot of the companies in the program might not be using actual electricity generated by renewable energy, since they are not buying directly from solar or wind farms, but from resellers of renewable energy certificates.
Category: Climate change, Global energy, Green corporations, Green ICT, Renewables
