San Diego Walmart 100th store to use solar power

Walmart has an ambitious goal for their stores to run entirely on renewable energy. Recently, the chain supply store took one step closer to reaching its goal when they announced that its San Diego, California, store will be using rooftop solar panels to generate power. The San Diego solar project will be Walmart’s 100^th store to go solar.  

The company's vast size gives it an advantage in utilizing new energy technology. Walmart has been installing solar panels on their store's roofs since 1998, and uses more solar power than any other company in the United States – beating other chain stores like IKEA and Macy’s. In total, Walmart’s Solaire energy systems generate approximately 65,000 kilowatts. And not only will does Walmart’s project contribute to lessening its carbon footprint, but it also creates jobs. In total, the company's focus on solar power has created over 3,000 jobs in California.

California, also called the 'Sunshine State', is known for it's innovative policies and clean energy bills. In total, the state is projected to generate over 70 million kilowatts of solar energy per year – enough to supply approximately 6,000 homes. In addition, solar power would lessen the states annual carbon dioxide emissions by around 22,000 metric tons.