Wal Mart (WMT) announced today it is going to double its use of solar energy in California over the next 18 months by installing solar panels on 10 – 20 of their stores, adding to the 18 solar arrays already in place.  The company expects to generate up to 32 million kilowatt hrs of renewable energy per year, remove 22,500 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions and provide 20 – 30% of the total electricity at the locations where the panels are installed. 

“Increasing the use of solar energy is the right thing to do for the environment and makes tremendous business sense, especially in these economic conditions,” said Kimberly Sentovich, Wal-Mart’s California regional general manager. “Thanks to Governor Schwarzenegger’s leadership, California is an excellent environment for us to grow our investment in renewable energy and help create more green jobs for America. Wal-Mart is excited to continue collaborating with our partner BP Solar on expanding our solar footprint.”