Walmart announced that it will double the number of on-site solar energy projects at its U.S. stores, Sam’s Clubs and distribution centers by 2020 from the current level.
The commitment is part of Walmart’s global initiative to drive the production or procurement of 7 billion kWh of renewable energy by the end of 2020, the company said.
“We share the President’s commitment to a sustainable energy future and applaud his willingness to partner with business on this important issue,” said Bill Simon, president and CEO of Walmart U.S.
Walmart made the announcement while hosting President Obama at a solar-powered store in Mountain View, California. The President visited the store to highlight the importance of energy efficiency and renewables in keeping America strong.
Walmart today is the No. 1 commercial solar energy user according to the Solar Energy Industry Association and is recognized as the largest on-site renewable energy user in America by the EPA’s Green Power Partnership.
In total, Walmart’s 2020 commitments to scale renewables and accelerate energy efficiency globally could save the company as much as $1 billion a year in energy costs.
Walmart’s Mountain View store currently derives 14.5 percent of its energy from solar systems built and installed by SolarCity, a local California business and one of Walmart’s largest solar vendors.
According to SolarCity, its projects with Walmart alone have created an estimated 9,000 construction jobs in the United States, and SolarCity has created an additional 5,000 permanent American jobs since it initiated its first project with Walmart in 2010.
Initiatives from companies like Walmart will give the others in the industry the confidence to invest in renewable energy sources.
Lyndon Rive, CEO of SolarCity, says, “One of SolarCity’s biggest challenges is that customers are still stuck with the stigma that clean energy is expensive. Walmart’s scale, brand, and leadership is sending the signal that solar is cost effective. Walmart is showing you can be sustainable, and you can do it at prices that meet or beat the price of energy from the grid.”
Since 2005, Walmart’s greenhouse gas emissions grew at only one-quarter the rate of the company’s growth, nearly flat-lining in recent years, the company said. With its 2020 energy goals, it anticipates an absolute decline in GHG emissions by 2020 despite significant growth plans over that same time period.
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