Kohl's Honored with 2015 ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year - Sustained Excellence Award

Kohl’s Department Stores (NYSE: KSS) announced today that the company has been recognized with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) 2015 ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year – Sustained Excellence Award for the company’s continued leadership in protecting the environment through superior energy efficiency initiatives. An EPA ENERGY STAR member since 1998, Kohl’s currently has more than 950 ENERGY STAR-certified locations totaling more than 80 percent of Kohl’s stores nationwide, the highest percentage of ENERGY STAR certified stores among U.S. retailers. In 2014 alone, 122 Kohl’s stores received ENERGY STAR certification, marking the largest number of stores the company has certified in one year since 2010.

“We’re proud of our continued commitment to driving energy efficiency across Kohl’s stores nationwide and this award for sustained excellence from EPA showcases our ongoing efforts to conserve resources,” said Ken Bonning, Kohl’s senior executive vice president. “Not only has our dedication to energy-efficient practices enabled more than 100 Kohl’s stores to receive ENERGY STAR certification in 2014, the average ENERGY STAR score of a Kohl’s store has increased year over year – a great indication of our progress in this area. We continue to look for ways to drive results, big or small, to ensure we leave a smaller footprint.”

Kohl’s uses the ENERGY STAR portfolio manager to track energy performance of all facilities, assess opportunities for enhanced energy performance and implement best practices. The company also constructs new stores with the intent to pursue ENERGY STAR’s “Designed to Earn” designation. These stores are eligible to earn ENERGY STAR certification after maintaining superior energy performance for one year in operation.

“Through their sustained participation with ENERGY STAR, Kohl’s Department Stores is helping Americans save money, save energy and do their part to reduce our nation’s greenhouse gas emissions that fuel climate change,” said EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy. “I applaud Kohl’s for earning EPA’s highest ENERGY STAR award, the 2015 Partner of the Year – Sustained Excellence Award, demonstrating a strong commitment to energy efficiency and to preserving a healthy planet for future generations.”

Kohl’s has also set a goal through the Department of Energy Better Buildings Challenge to reduce its energy use in more than 112 million square feet of occupied building space by at least 20 percent by 2020. Against this goal, Kohl’s achieved 12 percent reduction in energy use in 2013 and another 4.3 percent reduction in 2014.

In addition to this year’s award, Kohl’s received Sustained Excellence Awards in 2012, 2013 and 2014, as well as Partner of the Year Awards in 2010 and 2011. Kohl’s customers can check to see if their local Kohl’s stores are ENERGY STAR-certified by looking for the ENERGY STAR decals on the front entrances of certified stores, or by visiting the map of stores at www.KohlsGreen.com. Kohl’s comprehensive environmental program, Advancing Environmental Solutions, is part of the Kohl’s Cares® philanthropic platform, committed to making communities happier, healthier, greener places to live and work. Additional information about Kohl’s community commitment and environmental initiatives is available at www.Kohls.com/Cares and www.KohlsGreen.com. For more information on the ENERGY STAR program, visit www.Energystar.gov.

About Kohl’s

Kohl’s (NYSE: KSS) is a leading specialty department store with 1,164 stores in 49 states. With a commitment to inspiring and empowering families to lead fulfilled lives, the company offers amazing national and exclusive brands, incredible savings and inspiring shopping experiences in-store, online at Kohls.com and via mobile devices. Committed to its communities, Kohl’s has raised more than $257 million for children’s initiatives nationwide through its Kohl’s Cares® cause merchandise program, which operates under Kohl's Cares, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Kohl's Department Stores, Inc. For additional information about Kohl’s philanthropic and environmental initiatives, visit www.Kohls.com/Cares. For a list of store locations and information, or for the added convenience of shopping online, visit www.Kohls.com.

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About ENERGY STAR

ENERGY STAR® is the simple choice for energy efficiency achievements. For more than 20 years, people across America have looked to EPA’s ENERGY STAR program for guidance on how to save energy, save money, and protect the environment. Behind each blue label is a product, building, or home that is independently certified to use less energy and cause fewer of the emissions that contribute to climate change. Today, ENERGY STAR is the most widely recognized symbol for energy efficiency in the world, helping families and businesses save $300 billion on utility bills, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions by two billion metric tons since 1992. Join the millions who are already making a difference at energystar.gov.