Hannaford Supermarkets commits to 100-percent renewable energy by 2024

The Telegraph, Nashua, N.H.
·4 min read

Apr. 16—Scarborough, Maine — As part of its sustainability strategy and in recognition of Earth Month, Hannaford Supermarkets today announced its plan to be fully powered by renewable energy by 2024 — a commitment that makes the retailer the first large-scale supermarket business to match its bold commitment with such an aggressive timetable.

"Doing what's right for our business includes doing what's right for our associates, community, and our planet. Powering Hannaford with 100-percent renewable energy sources will make an immediate, positive impact on greenhouse gas emissions," said Mike Vail, President of Hannaford Supermarkets. "This is an important leap forward in our sustainability journey — and one that we hope sparks others to join. Prioritizing the health of our communities and the planet is a win for us all."

Supermarkets are energy intensive due to simultaneous needs of heating and cooling. To reduce energy consumption and make the best use of the energy being used, Hannaford has implemented energy efficiency projects like LED lights, night shades, doors on cases and state-of-the-art refrigeration systems — and has rooftop solar on 10 of its stores.

"Hannaford is light years ahead of the rest of the industry when it comes to their sustainability efforts — and they've been doing so for well over a decade," said Peter Cooke, cofounder of the Ratio Institute, an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to accelerating measurable sustainability and viability in food retail. Cooke has worked with more than 1,000 grocery stores and 15 grocery chains as part of his Grocery Stewardship work. "Hannaford associates continue to rally behind making the company more sustainable and that is an advantage to their current and future success in making the planet healthier and greener."

Currently, Hannaford operates at 30-percent renewable energy by partnering with over 30 community solar projects across Maine, Massachusetts, and New York.

Since the beginning of the decade, Hannaford has worked to reduce its energy consumption and converted 86.4MW of its remaining electricity usage to solar — enough electricity to power 16,000 typical homes for a year. Continuing to operate some of the most energy efficient stores in the northeast, Hannaford will couple their efforts of upgrades and conversions with integrating community and large-scale solar projects in Maine and New York to propel stores to the 100-percent-green milestone by 2024.

"Hannaford has always been serious about sustainability — and over time, it's become an integral business function. But there is a sense of urgency as we witness the planet in the midst of a climate crisis," said George Parmenter who leads sustainability efforts for Hannaford. "Hannaford wants to lead where we can make the most impact — and renewable energy is just another step in our journey."

According to a recent report by the United Nations on climate change, "harmful carbon emissions have never been higher in human history ...[and] scientists are urging 'now or never' to limit global warming...". Report findings indicate that achieving net zero carbon dioxide emissions globally by the early 2050's is the way to stabilize global temperatures and carbon dioxide emissions.

Hannaford, an Ahold Delhaize USA brand, has committed to be a net zero carbon business by 2040. A first step in that journey is to move to 100-perscent renewable energy.

"Shifting to renewable energy is an important way to increase our energy independence and combat climate change," U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-NH) said. "I commend Hannaford for making this important commitment to a more sustainable future — when companies like Hannaford invest in clean energy, they invest in our shared future success. I will continue to work across the aisle to help lower energy costs for Granite Staters and strengthen our clean energy economy."

Already an early and proven leader in sustainability efforts, Hannaford's prior milestone successes include:

—Becoming the first grocery retailer in the nation to introduce reusable bags to its customers in the mid-1980s;

—Earning notable distinction with the introduction of North America's first LEED Platinum supermarket in Augusta, Maine, for eco-friendly, energy-saving features that utilized approximately half the energy requirements of grocery stores of similar size and character in 2009;

—Installing a first-in-the-nation refrigeration system using natural refrigerant that is better for the environment and earning Hannaford a "Best of the Best" award from the US EPA Green Chill Partnership in 2013;

—Introducing and expanding electric vehicle (EV) charging stations to parking areas for a total of 163 plugs at 31 stores (and growing) throughout the Northeast;

—And most recently, becoming the first large-scale grocery retailer in its marketplace to achieve zero food waste-to-landfill by donating or diverting all food at risk of going to waste in 2021.

To learn more about Hannaford's commitment to 100-percent renewable energy by 2024 and its in-store efficiency efforts, view its video: https://bcove.video/3rizGof.