J.C. Penney receives 2010 Energy Star Award for sustained excellence

Plano, Texas The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded J.C. Penney Co. with a 2010 Energy Star Sustained Excellence Award in recognition of its continued leadership in protecting environmental resources through energy efficiency.

This is the company’s second time to win the prestigious Sustained Excellence Award since receiving the Energy Star Partner of the Year awards in 2007 and 2008. J.C. Penney is credited with being the first national retailer to achieve sustained excellence for its comprehensive "hands-on" approach to energy management. Last year, the company invested more than $10 million to install advanced meter technology, lighting retrofits and high-efficiency heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems in stores across the country with nine locations utilizing solar power.

In addition, J.C. Penney has adopted an enterprise-wide culture of energy stewardship that encourages every associate to seek innovative ways to save energy.

"We believe everyone has a responsibility to minimize their impact on the environment," said Myron E. (Mike) Ullman, III, chairman and CEO of J.C. Penney. "This award is a testament to our associates who demonstrate each day how their individual actions and habits can have a profound effect in achieving energy conservation."

Currently, 96 J.C. Penney stores and the J.C. Penney Home Office in Plano, Texas, have qualified for the Energy Star Building Label. The company expects to expand the number of Energy Star certifications to 200 stores by the end of 2010.