Kohl's Department Stores will be recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a recipient of the 2014 ENERGY STARPartner of the Year – Sustained Excellence Award for the company's continued leadership in protecting the environment through superior energy efficiency initiatives. An EPA ENERGY STAR member since 1998, Kohl's currently has more than 860 ENERGY STAR-certified locations, more than 70 percent of Kohl's stores nationwide and more than any other U.S. retailer to date. In 2013 alone, 69 Kohl's stores received ENERGY STAR certification, surpassing the company's goal to reach 800 certified locations by 2015. Award winners are selected from the 16,000 organizations that participate in the ENERGY STAR program. "Kohl's is proud to be a leader in energy-efficient practices and set a positive example in how we design and operate our facilities," said Ken Bonning, Kohl's senior executive vice president. "Not only do energy-efficient buildings reduce our carbon footprint, investments in features like lighting upgrades and solar installations make smart business sense. We continuously challenge ourselves to do more. This award from EPA acknowledges our ongoing efforts to conserve resources through the use of technology and valuable partnerships."
Kohl's uses the ENERGY STAR portfolio manager to track energy performance of all facilities, assess opportunities for enhanced energy performance and implement best practices. The company also constructs new stores with the intent to pursue ENERGY STAR's "Designed to Earn" designation. These stores are eligible to earn ENERGY STAR certification after maintaining superior energy performance for one year in operation. In addition to this year's award, Kohl's received a Sustained Excellence Award in 2012 and 2013, as well as Partner of the Year Awards in 2010 and 2011. "Kohl's has earned EPA's highest ENERGY STAR award – the 2014 Partner of the Year – Sustained Excellence Award – because of their unwavering commitment to helping consumers become increasingly more energy efficient," said EPA Deputy Administrator Bob Perciasepe. Kohl's has also set a goal through the Department of Energy Better Buildings Challenge to reduce its energy use in more than 112 million square feet of occupied building space by at least 20 percent by 2020.
