Wells Fargo & Co. has become a major purchaser of renewable energy in the United States. More than 40 percent of its electricity nationwide is offset with wind power, MSNBC reports.

California-based Wells Fargo has about 2,900 employees in the Des Moines area. Wells Fargo has also increased financing of alternative energy businesses including wind energy projects in Texas, Maine and Minnesota. Wells Fargo helps finance Minnesota’s biggest wind farm. In 2005, Wells Fargo announced a five-year, $1 billion lending and investment commitment to energy efficiency, high-performance green buildings, and sustainable agriculture and forestry. Wind Energy Weekly recently reported that Wells Fargo executives believe the bank has already hit that mark.

Other national banks are implementing employee recycling programs, preferred parking for hybrid vehicles and increasing their loans to environmentally sustainable businesses.