(Credit: Pixabay)Comcast is ramping up its clean energy efforts by acquiring 250 megawatts of solar electricity that will power nearly 12% of its operations in the United States.
The company is purchasing the solar power from Constellation and the agreement will support construction of the Blue Sky Solar Project in Illinois. The clean energy will mostly go toward powering Comcast’s Mid-Atlantic region operations.
Comcast will source the majority of the electricity produced from the Blue Sky project, which is being developed by Scout Clean Energy, and is currently the only customer of the project that will also serve parts of the Midwest. Comcast signed a 15-year agreement with Constellation that will begin in 2025, and the company will also receive renewable energy credits from Blue Sky as part of its retail electric supply contract.
Renewable energy is part of Comcast’s plan to be carbon neutral with Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2035 and says the deal will help it reduce its carbon dioxide emissions by nearly 360,000 metric tons a year. Comcast says 75% of its Scope 1 and 2 emissions in 2020 came from powering its facilities, data centers, network and theme parks.
The company says its renewable energy strategy will prioritize securing green tariffs, power purchase agreements and virtual power purchase agreements. Those targets will also include building onsite renewable energy capacity and supplementing its electricity use from existing projects or renewable energy certificates (REC).
In 2019 Comcast installed solar panels to provide 95% of the power at a call center in Massachusetts, but the Blue Sky deal is an example of an increased sustainability effort across its operations.
“This marks the first of many major green investments that are already underway or on the immediate horizon which demonstrate our commitment to sustainable, responsible business,” says Peter Kiriacoulacos, executive vice president and chief procurement officer at Comcast.
Other companies have been partaking in comparable projects, with Best Buy and PepsiCo among those who also use RECs as part of their retail electric supply from Constellation, from a 200 MW facility in Texas. Convenience store chain Sheetz is powering most of its facilities in Pennsylvania from another renewable agreement, also from Constellation.
Blue Sky is expected to reach commercial operation by the end of 2024.
