Snack and beverage maker PepsiCo Inc. is promising to go green in a major way.
The company said Monday it had topped the Environmental Protection Agency's list of green power buyers, following a pledge to purchase enough renewable energy certificates to match the amount of electricity it uses for all of its U.S.-based manufacturing facilities, as well as its headquarters, distribution centers and regional offices.
The maker of Pepsi-Cola, Frito-Lay snacks and other goodies said the three-year purchase is made up of more than 1 billion kilowatt hours annually. Based on national average emission rates, PepsiCo said that amount is equal to the electricity needed to power about 90,000 average American homes annually.
PepsiCo is partnering with Sterling Planet, a renewable energy provider, to find and buy the certificates. Renewable energy comes from wind, solar and other sustainable sources.
The pledge makes PepsiCo No. 1 on the Environmental Protection Agency's list of the top 25 green power purchasers. The company also is now a member of the agency's Green Power Partnership, which is made up of companies that voluntarily buy green power.
Wells Fargo & Co. ranked No. 2 on the EPA's Green Power Partners list, followed by Whole Foods Market and the U.S. Air Force.