Lord & Taylor is going green.

On Thursday, the company announced that it has agreed to a two-year contract with Green Mountain Energy Company, the nation’s leading competitive retail provider of cleaner energy and carbon offset solutions. Lord & Taylor will purchase wind energy from Green Mount for 100 percent of the Eastchester store’s electrical usage. These same exact plans will apply to the store on Fifth Avenue.

The amount of energy purchase amounts to 13 million kilowatt hours, and will negate a total of more than 20 million pounds of carbon dioxide annually, which is the equivalent of 3.6 million cab rides. The renewable energy to supply the two Lord & Taylor stores will be purchased in the form of wind Renewable Energy Certificates, a widely accepted way of addressing the greenhouse gas emissions of electricity consumption. 

“Green Mount applauds Lord & Taylor for demonstrating leadership in sustainable business practices through this purchase of green power,” said Scott Hart, President of Commercial Services with Green Mount Energy Company. “This renewable energy purchase further helps Green Mountain accomplish its mission to change the way power is made and helps Lord & Taylor send a message to its customers that it cares about the environment.” 

Based on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) 2011 Top List rankings, Lord & Taylor’s switch to cleaner energy would rank the company 17^th out of all major retail stores in the country. Lord & Taylor also recently joined EPA’s Green Power Partnership, a voluntary program that encourages organizations to purchase green power as a way to reduce the environmental impacts associated with electricity use.

This news comes a day after a report from The Journal News revealed that the Lord & Taylor in Eastchester is in the process of undergoing a $1.6 million renovation aimed at reshaping the inside of the store while largely preserving its long-standing outside appearance.

The project calls for alterations to a number of doorways and windows, as well as a fresh coat of paint for the outside of the building. An updated home furnishing department will also be added. 

Lord & Taylor’s store in Eastchester dates back to 1949, when it was one of a number of large New York City-based department stores that expanded to Westchester. Plans for a new Lord & Taylor to be opened next year in Yonkers as part of the Ridge Hill shopping center are also in order.