Declaring its intention of "leading the commercial sector in green initiatives," Hosting.com says it will buy 208 "green energy blocks" for each of the next 12 months.

Each of the $13 blocks accounts for 1,000 kilowatt hours of energy produced from local renewable resources. Hosting.com says its total purchase over the next year is "equivalent to planting approximately 1,310 acres of trees, or removing 304 cars from the road."

The green energy program operated by LG&E and Kentucky Utilities intends to support the development of renewable energy resources, such as the Mother Ann Lee Hydroelectric Plant, by enabling Kentucky residents and small business to purchase blocks starting at $5 per month. Commercial customers, such as Hosting.com can purchase blocks starting at $13 per month.

Money spent on green energy blocks, such as the roughly $2,700 per-month Hosting.com will spend over the next year, is in addition to its regular energy purchase.

"Hosting.Com is our first industrial customer to completely offset its annual carbon emissions. They've also done this in their California and Boston offices, and we are pleased they've chosen to take part in the LG&E program," says John P. Malloy, VP of energy delivery, retail business, for E.ON U.S., parent company of LG&E, in the press release announcing the purchase.

More than 500 customers are reportedly currently enrolled in the green energy program. An information page for the program is set up on the utility's website.

There is some criticism of the so-called "offset" approach to environmentalism, which has become somewhat popular in the hosting business lately. Opponents say that buying credits to offset carbon emissions is a poor substitute for more direct efforts at reducing power consumption and using renewable energy resources directly.