PLEASANTON, Calif. — Safeway Inc. has announced that it will purchase 100% renewable energy to power the company's 270 fuel stations in the United States, its 15 stores in San Francisco, and the Safeway corporate campuses in Pleasanton and Walnut Creek, Calif.

Through a partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Safeway becomes one of the largest buyers of green energy in the United States and an EPA "Green Power Partner." EPA's Green Power Partnership is a voluntary partnership between the EPA and organizations that pledge to replace a portion of their electricity consumption with renewable energy.

Under the partnership, Safeway has agreed to purchase 78 million kilowatt hours in the form of wind energy. By doing so, the company not only becomes one of the nation's largest buyers of green energy in the U.S. but also becomes California's largest buyer of renewable energy. Safeway is now the only retailer to purchase enough renewable energy to power 100% of its U.S. fuel stations.

"Protecting the environment and conserving our nation's valuable energy resources is something that Safeway and our customers care deeply about," said executive vice president Larree Renda. "By powering our fuel stations, stores and corporate offices with wind energy, we are taking a leadership role in using cleaner sources of electricity."

The EPA, using average avoided carbon dioxide emissions nationally, estimates that Safeway's purchase is equivalent to avoiding more than 85 million pounds of carbon dioxide, comparable to planting more than 10,500 acres of trees. Each store reduces carbon dioxide emissions by an equivalent of planting 200 acres of trees. The emissions reduction per fuel stations is equivalent to planting 24 acres of trees.

Renewable energy, including wind energy, is electricity generated from sources that are more environmentally friendly than traditional fossil fuels. Renewable energy benefits the environment by displacing non-renewable power sources like nuclear, coal and other fossil fuels that emit carbon dioxide (CO2), a greenhouse gas linked to global warming. The wind energy purchased by Safeway will come solely from newly constructed wind turbine generators.