J.C. Penney Co. Inc. is the first U.S. retailer to earn the federal government’s Energy Star label for its buildings’ energy efficiency and environmental performance.

Four of the company’s Washington retail stores use 35 percent less energy than an average retail store, collectively saving $250,000 per year on their energy bill. The stores avoid more than 3 million pound of carbon dioxide emissions annually.

The stores are located Bellevue, Burlington, Puyallup and Vancouver. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency implemented the retail Energy Star benchmark Oct. 1. JCPenney announced its award Oct. 30.

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