Safeway Launches Solar Initiative

Pleasanton, Calif. Safeway Inc. Wednesday announced a new environmental project to power 23 California stores with renewable solar energy. The company installed solar panels atop a newly renovated Safeway store in Dublin, California.

The company plans to extend the program to nearly two-dozen stores as part of a broader renewable-energy initiative.

Solar equipment at the Dublin store and other planned locations will produce approximately 7,500 megawatt hours of electricity per year, enough to provide 20% of the stores' average power usage and up to 48% of power usage during the peak hours. The entire Dublin Safeway facility utilizes renewable energy. The store's on-site retail fuel station already is powered by wind energy.

"Safeway is taking its green-power initiative to the next level as we identify additional California store locations for its solar-stores program," said Joe Pettus, Safeway senior VP, fuel & energy. "The investment in renewable energy, both solar and wind, makes sense for both the environment and our company."