Walmart announced it soon will nearly double the number of stores that use solar panels for energy, increasing from the 31 presently equipped with the renewable energy source at stores in California and Hawaii to as many as 30 more elsewhere in the Golden State and Arizona.

The announcement comes on the heels of the company announcing on Monday that solar paneling has been completed at its store in Stockton, California.

"The new solar installation on the Stockton store is yet another example how Walmart is moving towards achieving its sustainability goals," Stockton Assemblymember Bill Berryhill said.

For each site in California and Arizona, installations will create as many as 500 new jobs.

"By leveraging our global scale to become a more efficient company, we are able to lower our expenses and help develop markets for new technologies," said Kim Saylors Laster, Walmart vice president of energy. "Developing and incorporating new renewable energy sources reduces energy price risk and aligns very well with our commitment to solving business challenges through technology."