A while ago I posted about Wal-Mart entering the field of renewable energy. At the time I opined (something that Rt has done as well) about how much sense it would make for them to use that huge ass roof, and giant parking lot to power each store from renewable energy. Well it seems they went one further and started their own energy company.

“Wal-Mart has made a pervasive commitment to minimizing costs. That’s what they do,” said Edward Fox, associate professor of marketing at Southern Methodist University.

In other parts of the country, Wal-Mart, the largest private purchaser of electricity in the U.S., buys electricity from third parties, just like any other retailer. But in Texas, the company saw an opportunity to try something new.

It helped found an electricity provider called Creed Power Co. and, in 2004, acquired the remaining stake in the company and changed its name to Texas Retail Energy. Wal-Mart wouldn’t disclose the purchase price.

…

Mr. Hendrix said he would consider selling electricity to consumers or to Wal-Mart’s suppliers, if that’s what customers want. But his main focus is buying power for Wal-Mart itself.

He said he would consider buying a renewable-energy power plant, such as a wind farm, if the company can’t find enough vendors to meet Wal-Mart’s eventual goal of using only renewable power.

It seems that they can save over 15 million a year in energy savings, but this has the potential for a lot more. Imagine if you are unlucky enough to have a couple dozen Wall-Marts in a large metro area, after plastering their roofs with solar, turning their parking lots into solar thermal collectors, and installing wind turbines out back, these dozen Wal-Marts become Sam’s clubs of energy production and start selling you renewable energy for “low low prices.”

Sounds great right? One important question you have to ask yourself is this. Will Wal-Mart try and treat the renewable energy market the same way they treat their retail market. Will solar panel makers get phone calls from Wal-Mart letting them know that unless they drop the price of their panel by 5% big papa Wal-Mart is going some place else? God forbid the big wigs in Arkansas decide to go into bio-fuels. They would undoubtly go with the cheapest demolished rain forest palm oil they could get their hands on.

Don’t get me wrong, much as Rt said previously I fully support large companies in their efforts to “get it” when it comes to renewable energy. But if something is worth doing its worth right. There is a way here for Wal-Mart to go renewable, and perhaps turn its image around a bit. Sam Waltons original goals for starting his company had nothing to do with underpaying and over working its employees. He wanted a place people could earn a decent wage. Its time that Wal-Mart go back to that original goal.

Wal-Mart has gotten to where it is by being able to read the writing on the wall. The fact that they are embracing renewable energy to such an extent is proof that renewable energy is where it is at. Other companies take note, if you are not renewable, you are not going to make it. But at the same time without worker reform for Wal-Mart (both American employees and over seas producers) Wal-Mart will flounder. They are so close to “getting it,” so close in fact that I am sure that they can be persuaded to go the rest of the way.

To summarize, good job Wal-Mart on the renewable energy, and good luck on making and selling as much good clean renewables as you can. But be aware that this doesn’t get you off the hook for being such a jerk in so many other ways. If anything the shift to renewable energy is way overdue.