Intel is now the single largest corporate purchaser of green power in the United States, according to the EPA.In a record-setting move, Intel announced this week that it will purchase more than 1.3 billion kilowatt hours per year of renewable energy certificates.

Renewable energy certificates, or RECs, also called green tags or renewable credits, are the "currency" of the renewable energy market and are widely recognized as having credible and tangible environmental benefits.

In a statement, the chipmaker said it hoped the purchase would help stimulate the market for green power, lead to additional generating capacity, and lower costs.

One REC represents the environmental benefits of generating 1 megawatt hour of electricity from a renewable source such as sun or wind. The benefits include reductions in greenhouse gas emissions that would have been generated by burning fossil fuels.

Intel's REC purchase, which includes a portfolio of wind, solar, small hydroelectric, and biomass sources, will be handled by Sterling Planet, a national supplier of renewable energy, energy efficiency, and low-carbon solutions.

Intel President and CEO Paul Otellini is a member of the Copenhagen Climate Council, a global group of leaders working to achieve an effective global climate treaty at next year's United Nations' Environmental Summit in Copenhagen. "Our renewable purchase is just one part of a multi-faceted approach to protect the environment, and one that we hope spurs additional development and demand for renewable energy," he said in a statement.

As a result of the purchase, the EPA announced it has placed Intel at the top of its Green Power Partners Top 25 list, and also at the No. 1 spot on its Fortune 500 Green Power Partners list.