Kohl’s Department Stores Named EPA Green Power Partner of the Year

MENOMONEE FALLS, Wis.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Kohl’s Department Stores (NYSE: KSS) will be named Green Power Partner of the Year during the annual Green Power Leadership Awards held Monday, Sept. 14 in Atlanta, Ga. Co-sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and Center for Resource Solutions (CRS), the Green Power Leadership Awards recognize the actions of organizations, programs and individuals that significantly advance the development of green power resources in three categories: on-site generation, green power purchase and Partner of the Year.

“To receive the Green Power Partner of the Year Award is a tremendous honor”

“To receive the Green Power Partner of the Year Award is a tremendous honor,” said Ken Bonning, Kohl’s executive vice president of store planning and logistics. “Since joining the Green Power Partnership in 2006, Kohl’s has continually demonstrated our support of green power through increasing our purchase of renewable energy credits, expanding our solar initiative and implementing strategies to manage our energy usage in an environmentally responsible way. We strive to set an example of how a business can consistently implement and explore sustainable solutions that make sense for the bottom line, the environment and the communities we serve.”

This is the third consecutive year Kohl’s will receive a Green Power Leadership Award, earning recognition for green power purchase in 2007 and on-site generation in 2008. This is Kohl’s first time receiving the Green Power Partner of the Year Award, which recognizes four EPA Green Power Partners annually who distinguish themselves through their green power purchases, leadership, overall strategy and impact on the green power market.

“EPA's Green Power Leadership Award winners are raising the bar for green power purchasing,” said Kathleen Hogan, Director of EPA's Climate Protection Partnerships Division. "By using renewable energy, Kohl's Department Stores is helping our environment by leading our national transition to clean energy; they are a model for others to follow.”

Kohl’s Earns Top-10 Rankings for Green Power Purchases and On-Site Generation

Kohl’s currently ranks second in retail, fourth overall and fourth among Fortune 500 companies on EPA’s list of top Green Power Purchasers with a 2009 green power purchase of 600,990,000 kWh – more than double Kohl’s previous green power commitment and enough to meet 50 percent of the company’s purchased electricity use. According to U.S. EPA, Kohl’s green power purchase of 601 million kWh is equivalent to avoiding carbon dioxide emissions of more than 79,000 passenger vehicles per year, or is the equivalent amount of electricity needed to power nearly 60,000 average American homes annually.

Kohl’s ranks ninth on EPA’s list of Green Power Partners that generate and consume the most green power on-site with 19,126,000 kWh of on-site green power usage from solar, accounting for two percent of Kohl’s total electricity use. The world’s largest retail host of solar power, Kohl’s currently has 78 solar locations in six states – California, Wisconsin, Oregon, Maryland, Connecticut and New Jersey. Depending on the geographic location of the store, solar panels generate 20-50 percent of the store’s electricity.

Kohl’s Facilities Showcase Green Power Leadership

Kohl’s Milwaukee, Wis.-based photo studio, just minutes from the company’s corporate headquarters, is just one example of Kohl’s commitment to green power and energy efficiency through both renewable energy credits (RECs) and solar power. In May 2009, Kohl’s photo studio earned Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) initial certification at the gold level from the United States Green Building Council. The photo studio has nearly 800 solar panels that supply approximately 20 percent of the building’s energy, offsetting 14.3 percent of the annual energy costs. At the photo studio, 70 percent of the power is offset by renewable energy sources, such as biomass and wind.

To date, Kohl’s has 46 LEED-certified locations nationwide and was the first retailer of its type to earn LEED initial certification on its store prototype in April 2009. A portion of the RECs purchased by Kohl’s are applied to power Kohl’s LEED locations. At these stores, 35 percent of power is generated by landfill gas, a renewable energy source, with the balance of RECs applied across the country for Kohl’s power use as a whole.

Kohl’s also aims to maximize energy efficiency through energy management systems in all 1,022 stores. As a result of these systems, which control most interior and exterior lighting as well as heating and cooling systems at our stores, Kohl's has one of the lowest energy usages per square foot in the retail industry. In addition, 298 Kohl’s stores – nearly 30 percent of Kohl’s total stores – have earned EPA’s ENERGY STAR label for superior energy efficiency. According to U.S. EPA, commercial buildings that earn the ENERGY STAR rate in the top 25 percent of similar facilities nationwide for energy performance, use an average of 35 percent less energy than typical buildings and release 35 percent less carbon dioxide.

For more information on Kohl’s green initiatives or EPA’s Green Power Partnership, visit www.kohlsgreenscene.com or www.epa.gov/greenpower.

About Kohl’s Department Stores

Based in Menomonee Falls, Wis., Kohl’s (NYSE: KSS) is a family-focused, value-oriented specialty department store offering moderately priced, exclusive and national brand apparel, shoes, accessories, beauty and home products in an exciting shopping environment. By the end of September, Kohl’s will operate 1,059 stores in 49 states. A company committed to the communities it serves, Kohl’s has raised more than $126 million for children’s initiatives nationwide through its Kohl’s Cares for Kids® philanthropic program, which operates under Kohl's Cares, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Kohl's Department Stores, Inc. For a list of store locations and information, or for the added convenience of shopping online, visit www.kohls.com.

About EPA’s Green Power Partnership

The Green Power Partnership is a voluntary program that encourages organizations to buy green power as a way to reduce the environmental impacts associated with purchased electricity use. The Partnership currently has more than 1,000 Partner organizations voluntarily purchasing billions of kilowatt-hours of green power annually. Partners include a wide variety of leading organizations such as Fortune 500 companies, small and medium sized businesses, local, state, and federal governments, and colleges and universities. For additional information, please visit http://www.epa.gov/greenpower.

About the Green Power Leadership Awards

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) co-sponsors the annual Green Power Leadership Awards in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Energy and the Center for Resource Solutions. EPA recognizes winners in the following awards categories: Green Power Partner of the Year, On-site Generation, and Green Power Purchase. EPA’s Purchaser awards recognize the exceptional achievement among EPA Green Power Partners who distinguish themselves through green power procurement, market leadership, overall green power strategy, and overall impact on the green power market. The Awards are held in conjunction with the Renewable Energy Markets Conference. For additional information please visit http://www.epa.gov/greenpower/awards/.