Dallas, TX (Vocus) March 11, 2009
Half Price Books, the nation's largest family-owned new and used bookstore chain, announced today that it is purchasing pollution-free wind energy for 30 stores and other facilities in Texas for the next three years. The Dallas-based bookstore chain is purchasing 100% Texas wind power from Green Mountain Energy Company, Texas' only electricity provider dedicated to cleaner energy.
Half Price Books is purchasing about 11.3 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of wind power annually. The purchase for 30 Texas retail stores, plus, Half Price Books' central distribution center in Dallas, Dallas district distribution center, Tarrant distribution center, North and South Houston distribution centers, the Half Price Books woodshoppe in Farmers Branch, Texas and the corporate office in Dallas is equivalent to the amount of energy required to power 100 percent of these Texas facilities with clean renewable sources of electricity. The stores included are located across the state, from Dallas/Fort Worth to Corpus Christi to Houston.
Half Price Books has been recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as an EPA Green Power Partner for its leading green power purchase. According to EPA, Half Price Books' purchase is the fourth largest retail purchase in Texas, after Whole Foods, FedEx Office, and H-E-B Grocery Company. Half Price Books is also the second largest retailer in Texas, after Whole Foods, to purchase 100% renewable energy for its Texas facilities. EPA's Green Power Partnership is a voluntary program that encourages the purchase of green power to reduce the environmental impact associated with electricity generation and use.
"America is shifting to a 'green culture,' with more and more businesses taking important steps to combat climate change," said Kathleen Hogan, Director of the Climate Protection Partnerships Division at the EPA. "EPA commends Half Price Books / Texas Facilities for making a long-term commitment to protecting the environment by purchasing green power."
By purchasing 11.3 million kWh of wind power, Half Price Books will offset estimated 15 million pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2), a harmful greenhouse gas that leads to global warming. That is the equivalent of planting 901,000 trees or recycling 6 million pounds of newspaper.
"Half Price Books has long been a supporter of the environment, even going so far as to include 'be kind to the environment' in its official mission statement," said Kathy Doyle Thomas, executive vice president of Half Price Books. "Making the switch to Green Mountain just made sense to us in order to continue to do what we can to help the environment."
Green Mountain Energy Company was awarded the three year renewable energy contract after a competitive bid process facilitated by GSE Consulting, LP the energy consultant for Half Price Books. Green Mountain was selected as a result of its competitive rates and leadership in the renewable energy industry. The company is the nation's longest serving green power marketer in the U.S.
"Green Mountain Energy Company is honored to be Half Price Books' electricity supplier and to partner with them in supporting cleaner electricity in Texas," said Scott Hart, president of Commercial Services, Green Mountain. "By purchasing 100 percent wind for these facilities, Half Price Books is making a powerful statement about the importance of green power and is also sending an important message to other businesses across Texas that cleaner energy is good for business, the environment and the community."
"By voluntarily choosing a 100% renewable energy product, Half Price Books has, once again, shown a commitment to being a responsible corporate citizen and an environmentally responsible company," said Gina Paul, senior consultant for GSE Consulting, LP, who facilitated the competitive bidding process on behalf of Half Price Books. "GSE will continue to work with Half Price Books and other companies to determine the most environmentally friendly ways to reduce energy consumption and promote green initiatives."
Half Price Books will promote the purchase to its Texas customers through in-store signage and its customer newsletter. The bookstore chain will be able to reach and educate retail customers while they are visiting the stores.
About Half Price Books:
Half Price Books is the largest family-owned new and used bookstore chain with more than 100 retail locations in 15 states. Stores are open seven days a week and buy and sell new and used books, magazines, comics, records, CDs, DVDs and collectible items. Half Price Books has been dedicated to environmental and literacy efforts for 36 years and supports hundreds of local, national and international programs. Each year the company sponsors the Half Pint Library Book Drive at each of its stores, donating thousands of books to hospitals and clinics throughout the United States. Half Price Books is a founding contributor to Laura Bush's National Book Festival, a continuing supporter of the National Center for Family Literacy, and the founder of the environmental website BecomeGreen.org. For more information about Half Price Books, its store locations and corporate initiatives, please visit http://www.halfpricebooks.com.
About Green Mountain Energy Company:
Green Mountain, the nation's leading provider of cleaner energy and carbon offset solutions, was founded in 1997 "to change the way power is made." The company is the longest serving green power marketer in the U.S. and was the first retail electric provider in Texas to offer renewable energy when electricity competition began in 2001. The company was ranked the highest in residential customer satisfaction with retail electric service in Texas by J.D. Power and Associates in 2008 (1). Green Mountain offers consumers and businesses the choice of cleaner electricity products from renewable sources such as wind and water and carbon offset products through its BeGreen division (BeGreenNow.com). Green Mountain customers have collectively helped avoid over 4.1 million tons of CO2 emissions. For more information, visit GreenMountain.com.
1) Green Mountain Energy Company received the highest numerical score among residential electric service providers in Texas in the proprietary J.D. Power and Associates 2008 Texas Residential Retail Electric Service Satisfaction StudySM. Study based on responses from 2,572 consumers measuring 8 providers and measures opinions of consumers with their electric service provider. Proprietary study results are based on experiences and perceptions of consumers surveyed in June 2008. Your experiences may vary. Visit jdpower.com.
About GSE Consulting, LP:
GSE Consulting, LP is national energy procurement and management firm helping companies implement strategies to control and reduce energy costs. GSE is comprised of energy professionals from leading energy companies across the country. Through our strong wholesale trading network and operations, we are able to leverage our purchasing power across trading regions nationwide to obtain the most aggressive pricing in the marketplace creating maximum savings for our clients. For more information, visit http://www.gseconsultinglp.com.
For more information, contact:
Marci Grossman, Green Mountain Energy
(480) 502-8100; (602) 694-8972 (cell)
Marci.grossman (at) greennmountain (dot) com
Megan Kuntz, Half Price Books
(214) 360-0833
Mkuntz (at) halfpricebooks (dot) com
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