7.12.2007 - 02:33pm ET

(CSRwire) KENNEBUNK, ME- July 12, 2007 – The Stop & Shop Supermarket Company and Sterling Planet today announced Stop & Shop purchased Sterling Planet's Green-e certified renewable energy to match 100 percent of its electricity use at its new store that opened on June 15 in Kennebunk, Maine. Sterling Planet will annually supply 2,700,000 kilowatt hours of renewable energy for the Maine store. With this purchase, Stop & Shop will avoid nearly 4,000,000 pounds of carbon dioxide pollution in the next year.

"By choosing clean, renewable energy, Stop & Shop is demonstrating that it’s possible to consume this energy while supporting clean energy technologies and domestic electricity, offsetting fossil fuel demand, and being a good corporate citizen," said Paul Grenier, manager of energy budgeting and procurement.

Stop & Shop's purchase is in the form of Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs), also known as green certificates, green tags, or tradable renewable certificates. RECs represent the environmental attributes of the power produced from wind, solar and other renewable energy projects and are sold separately from commodity electricity. Customers can buy RECs whether or not they have access to green power through their local utility or a competitive electricity marketer. And they can purchase green certificates without having to switch electricity suppliers.

"Our Kennebunk store was designed to be energy efficient," said Steve Krupski, senior vice president for construction at Stop & Shop. "We're committed to investments which permit us to be community minded and help to control our bottom line in today’s world of high energy costs," Krupski concluded.

"Sterling Planet is pleased to join with Stop & Shop to provide renewable energy that creates social, economic and environmental benefits," said Kelly Bennett, Director of Business Development at Sterling Planet. "We applaud Stop & Shop for its thoughtful commitment to sustainability and recognition of the all-around value that clean energy represents."

About Stop & Shop: The Stop & Shop Supermarket Company, based in Quincy, Massachusetts, employs more than 59,000 associates and operates 389 stores throughout Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Hampshire, New York, New Jersey and Maine. For more on Stop & Shop, visit www.stopandshop.com.

About Sterling Planet: Sterling Planet is the leading U.S. retail provider of solar, wind and other clean, renewable energy through direct sales and electric utility partnerships. Sales to date represent enough clean energy to power 1.2 million homes for a year, creating environmental benefits comparable to not driving nearly 20 million miles in personal vehicles. Founded in 2000, Sterling Planet was the first company to offer RECs (Renewable Energy Certificates) to every U.S. home and business as a way to support sustainable energy production that benefits the environment, the economy and society in general. Today, Sterling Planet also markets White Tag™ Energy Efficiency Certificates and has 564 large commercial and industrial clients nationwide, including 44 utility partners, 67 government clients and 31 universities. The company also provides the full range of climate neutral solutions to businesses and organizations worldwide. www.sterlingplanet.com

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