John Addison submits : Wal-Mart (WMT) generated much excitement with an RFP (Request for Proposals) to bring solar power to 300 stores. Wal-Mart is making more green investment as it sees early returns in investments already made.

Long distance trucks are vital to moving the goods. These big trucks are powered by efficient diesel engines, often achieving 25% better mileage than gasoline engines and 50% better than ethanol. These trucks will be one of the last vehicle types to switch to cleaner fuels or to use hybrid drive systems. Diesel engines are efficient, the infrastructure is there, and the fleets are replaced slowly. There are, however, many ways to make these diesel trucks more energy efficient.

Wal-Mart operates 3,300 trucks that in 2005 drove 455 million miles to make 900,000 deliveries to its 6,500 stores. Wal-Mart has set a goal of doubling the fuel efficiency of its new heavy-duty trucks from 6.5 to 13 miles per gallon by 2015, thereby keeping some 26 billion pounds of carbon dioxide out of the air between now and 2020 (Green Car Congress).

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