BJ’s Wholesale Club Budgets Electricity with Tioga Energy’s Solar Services

For more than 15 years, BJ’s Wholesale Club (NYSE: BJ) has been recovering the economic and environmental benefits of solar power with 12 rooftop installations in six states. Today the big-box wholesaler announces it will add four more solar photovoltaic (PV) systems to its roster through a partnership with Tioga Energy, a leading supplier of renewable energy services to commercial, government, and non-profit institutions.

The first two rooftop systems, currently under construction at clubs in Leominster and South Attleboro, Mass., are scheduled for completion next month, with two additional projects in New Jersey to be completed in this summer. The systems will be installed and financed through Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) with Tioga, allowing the clubs to implement solar energy without upfront costs. In addition to the clean power provided by the systems, Tioga’s SurePath^SM Solar PPA offers BJ’s predictable energy prices, providing up to twenty-two percent of the club’s yearly electrical needs, at a cost lower than the standard utility rates utilities.

"Since the 90’s BJ’s has taken the smart business strategy of lowering electricity costs through solar power and energy efficiency measures,” said Kevin Moran, Manager of Energy at BJ’s Wholesale Club. "With Tioga Energy as a partner, we are able to take our commitment to solar to the next level, while managing first-cost installation hurdles and providing a hedge against future rate increases.”

"With their large, flat roofs, big box stores lend themselves to solar power,” said Ian Bowles, Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs for Massachusetts. "I applaud BJ’s and Tioga Energy for stepping up the plate and taking on a leadership role in putting clean, renewable power to work in these stores – reducing their use of electricity from fossil fuels, cutting greenhouse gas emissions, and contributing to Massachusetts’s clean energy future.”

With these new installations online, BJ’s will have more than 2000 KW of solar power attributing to its lower and more predictable electricity costs, with the Leominster and South Attleboro installations at 308KW and 344KW, respectively and the New Jersey installations providing 409KW and 500KW. Under the terms of the PPA, BJ’s Wholesale Club pays only for the electricity produced by the systems, while Tioga is responsible for installation, monitoring and maintenance. Spire Corporation (Nasdaq: SPIR), a global solar company providing solar system integrations services, is the construction partner for the solar installations.

"Energy pricing represents a significant overhead expenditure for retail outlets, and leaves them susceptible to monthly variability,” said Paul Detering, CEO of Tioga Energy. "As electricity rates continue to rise, Tioga’s PPA model enables organizations to more effectively budget with predictable pricing and go solar without diverting funding away from core operations.”

About Tioga Energy

Tioga Energy enables commercial, government and non-profit organizations to reduce their energy costs while lowering carbon emissions. Through the SurePath^SM solar power purchase agreement (PPA), Tioga Energy owns and operates renewable energy systems that provide organizations a hedge against energy price volatility and accelerate their access to clean energy without any capital outlay. For more information call 877.333.9787 or visit: www.tiogaenergy.com.

About BJ’s Wholesale Club

BJ's is dedicated to providing members with high-quality, brand-name food and merchandise at prices that are significantly lower than supermarkets, supercenters, department stores, drug stores and specialty retail stores. BJ's carries the most product variety of any wholesale club with more than 7,000 items, including supermarket-sized staples, USDA Choice meats and stock-up items. BJ's is the only wholesale club to accept all manufacturers' coupons and for greater convenience, offers the most payment options including EBT.

Headquartered in Natick, Massachusetts, BJ's Wholesale Club, Inc. is a leading operator of warehouse clubs in the eastern United States. The Company currently operates 187 clubs and 105 gas stations in 15 eastern states. Learn more and shop online at BJs.com or for exclusive content visit Facebook.com/bjswholesaleclub.

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