SALISBURY, N.C. — Food Lion stores, a supermarket chain headquartered here and operating in 11 states, is applying several steps to make more than 650 of its stores more energy efficient and also reduce air pollution emissions.

The company formally joined the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star Buildings and Green Lights Partnership Program in a signing ceremony in late March at the grand opening of Food Lion’s new store at 1856 South Lake Drive, Lexington, S.C.