Kendall-Jackson Joins Green‑e Marketplace with 100% Renewable Energy Commitment

California wine producer purchases 100% renewable energy for its U.S. operations

SAN FRANCISCO, CA (January 23, 2013)—Center for Resource Solutions (CRS) announced today that Kendall-Jackson and parent wine company Jackson Family Wines, based in Santa Rosa, CA, have joined Green-e® Marketplace after purchasing 36,000 megawatt-hours of Green‑e Energy Certified renewable energy certificates from NativeEnergy. The purchase is on behalf of 100 percent of the total annual electricity needs for Kendall-Jackson’s U.S.-based operations. By participating in Green‑e Marketplace, Kendall-Jackson can now display the Green‑e logo to inform its customers of its commitment to clean, renewable energy.

“Kendall-Jackson has a longstanding focus on environmental responsibility, and awareness of resource use and conservation runs deep in the organization,” said Orrin Cook, manager of Green‑e Marketplace. “With this certification, we look forward to being able to help them communicate their commitment to clean energy to their customers, employees, and industry.”

Along with buying renewable energy for use in its U.S. operations, the company has been certified sustainable under the Sustainability in Practice (SIP) program and the Certified California Sustainable Winegrowing program through the Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance. It has also implemented water-conservation and solid waste reduction and management measures, while stressing energy efficiency throughout the organization. Its bottling operation uses one of the largest rooftop solar co-generation systems in the U.S.

“We take a three-step approach to move towards energy independence,” said Robert Boller, Vice President of Sustainability at Jackson Family Wines. “First we changed our wasteful habits to reduce electricity use. Secondly we retrofitted our equipment to be more efficient. Lastly we’ve invested in renewable energy, both off-site and on-site with solar cogeneration.” The company was one of 18 organizations to receive the 2011 EPA Green Power Leadership Award for energy conservation, renewable energy use and leadership.

Kendall-Jackson joins a growing list of companies and organizations taking real action to reduce the impact of their energy use. Electricity generated from renewable sources results in less environmental waste and pollution and displaces other non-renewable sources from the electric grid. Kendall-Jackson’s purchase of electricity created from nearly emissions-free renewable sources avoids carbon dioxide and other pollutants and serves to build the market for renewable energy nationwide, increasing incentives for developing new facilities. Currently, renewable energy accounts for less than ten percent of total electricity generation nationwide.

Renewable energy certificates purchased by Kendall-Jackson are certified by Green‑e Energy, the leading renewable energy certification program in the nation. Green‑e Energy provides independent, third-party certification to ensure renewable energy products meet strict environmental and consumer protection standards, including being sourced from verified, new facilities; not being double-counted towards any state’s renewable energy goal; and being retired on behalf of the purchaser. Every Green‑e Marketplace participant undergoes annual verification and audits to document that it has purchased enough certified renewable energy to meet its annual commitment.

About Jackson Family Wines
Jackson Family Wines is a family owned and operated wine company focused on crafting exceptional wines of distinct character. A leader in sustainable vineyard and winery operations, Jackson Family Wines has reduced its energy consumption by 32%. Jackson Family Wines is one of the largest users of solar cogeneration and has implemented water-conservation measures saving 9 million gallons per year. 100% of its estate vineyards in California are certified sustainable. Jackson Family Wines comprises a luxury wine portfolio across four continents, with wineries in France, Italy, Chile, Australia and California including: Verite, Cardinale, Arrowood, Matanzas Creek, Byron, Cambria, Stonestreet, Hartford, Freemark Abbey, La Jota, La Crema, Murphy-Goode, and Kendall-Jackson. For more information on Kendall-Jackson and its sustainability programs, visit kj.com/sustainability.

About Green‑e and Center for Resource Solutions
A program of Center for Resource Solutions, Green‑e is North America’s leading independent consumer protection program for the sale of renewable energy and greenhouse gas reductions in the retail market. Green‑e offers certification and verification of renewable energy and greenhouse gas mitigation products through Green‑e Energy, a renewable energy certification program; Green‑e Climate, a greenhouse gas emission reduction certification program; and Green‑e Marketplace, a program that provides forward-thinking organizations a simple, nationally recognized logo they can use to communicate their renewable energy and climate commitment to their customers and stakeholders. To learn more about Green‑e Certified products and programs available in all 50 states and Canada, visit www.green-e.org.

##