simple + green

After this week’s news about US businesses lack of progress in all things Green, I was glad to find some positive news.

Intel has just replaced PepsiCo as biggest U.S. buyer of alternative energy.

Tech giant Intel has announced that it will buy 1.3 billion kilowatt hours of renewable energy credits a year, making it the biggest U.S. buyer of alternative energy. Previous record-holder PepsiCo is bumped into second place with a purchase of 1.1 billion kilowatt hours annually…

How does PepsiCo plan to use alternative energy?

In partnership with REC provider Sterling Planet, the fizzy-drink maker (and owner of Frito-Lay) will spend $2 million funding wind, biomass, and hydroelectric power to “offset” the power used by its U.S. manufacturing facilities, headquarters, distribution centers, and regional offices.

Ever wonder which other companies lead in alternative energy consumption? Well, the EPA releases a quarterly list of the top 25 buyers of green power. Here are all 25 alternative energy leaders from this latest report:
1. Intel
2. PepsiCo
3. US Air Force
4. Wells Fargo
5. Whole Foods
6. Pepsi Bottling Group
7. Johnson & Johnson
8. Cisco Systems
9. City of Dallas, TX
10. HSBC North America
11. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
12. City of Houston, TX
13. Kohl’s Department Stores
14. Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts
15. Starbucks
16. DuPont Company
17. U.S. Department of Energy
18. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
19. PepsiAmericas, Inc.
20. Vail Resorts, Inc.
21. New York University
22. NatureWorks LLC
23. Staples
24. The World Bank Group
25. University of Pennsylvania

Read more here at Grist, or go right to the EPA green power list.

I’m surprised to see cities (Houston, Dallas), not to mention the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania on this list. Every single change in encouraging, but I’m hoping to see even more big business challenged to increase their green power quotient.