FOUNTAIN CITY, Wis. - A local mill recently became the first Wisconsin food company to buy renewable energy credits to cover 100 percent of its energy needs.

Great River Organic Milling of Fountain City last month bought 62 megawatts of renewable energy from Canadian company Ecoelectrons. The purchase pays for Great River's power usage to be produced by cleaner, green energy methods, rather than non-renewable sources.

The move made sense for a business heavily focused on sustainability, said president Rick Halverson, and it sets an example for other companies.

"It's all part of one of our focuses, being an organic company," he said. "I thought, 'You know, this is probably something we should be doing.'"

Great River, which sells organic grains, flours and mixes, became a member of the Environmental Protection Agency's Green Power Partnership with the purchase, joining more than 1,100 businesses throughout the country, according to the EPA Web site. Great River is the first food company in the state to join the program, according to the site.

A kilowatt of power generated by fossil fuels such as coal and natural gas typically releases between 0.4 and 0.8 pounds of carbon dioxides and other greenhouse-causing gases into the air, according to Ecoelectrons. By that measure, Great River's purchase will keep more than 12 tons of such gases out of the air.

The move could also boost business, Halverson said. The purchase allowed the company to join the Green-e Marketplace, which permits Great River to display that organization's logo on its products. That might make a difference to the eco-conscious customers to whom Great River tailors, Halverson said.

"From a marketing standpoint, it benefits us," he said. "It's a good move for the company."