VISTA, — PrAna, an outdoor apparel manufacturer, is providing 250 of its retailers with renewable wind energy certificates equivalent to the electricity their stores consume.

The PrAna Natural Power Initiative will offset electricity generation with the purchase of Green-e certified tradable renewable energy certificates (RECs), supplied by 3 Phases Energy Services, a Green-e certified wind power provider. Each of the initial 250 participating stores is being given signage noting that 100% of that store's electricity will be offset by a renewable energy source.

PrAna launched the initiative at the Outdoor Retailer trade show in Salt Lake City, Utah. PrAna eventually intends to bring all 1,000 of its U.S. retail customers on board, according to Beaver Theodosakis, PrAna's owner and founder.

Theodosakis notes that many large companies have begun purchasing wind power in recent years, including Hewlett-Packard, FedEx Kinko's, BP, and Whole Foods.

The company says it will also be offsetting 100% of the electrical energy use of its Vista, Calif., headquarters and the homes of all of its full-time employees beginning in October 2005.