Companies top U.S. list for green electricity

Wells Fargo, Whole Foods replace Air Force on EPA ranking

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updated 12:07 p.m. ET Jan. 30, 2007

WASHINGTON - In a sign of clean energy's growing popularity in the corporate world, two companies topped the Environmental Protection Agency's annual list of the top users of "green" electricity for the first time.

Wells Fargo & Co and Whole Foods Market Inc. were No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, on the EPA's top 25 list of organizations that buy electricity made from solar, wind, geothermal and other renewable sources.

It was the first time that the quarterly report has been led by the private sector. The list had been led by the Air Force, which slipped to No. 3.

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Wells Fargo obtained 42 percent of its electricity from wind power, while Whole Foods obtained all of its power from renewable sources, according to the EPA report.

"Purchasing green power is good for the environment and supports our nation's efforts to increase the diversity in our energy supplies with alternative and renewable energy sources," Bill Wehrum, acting assistant administrator for the EPA's air and radiation office said in a statement. The EPA itself was fourth on the list, and Johnson & Johnson was fifth.

The full list is online at www.epa.gov/greenpower/partners/top25.htm