(Credit: Canva Pro)Toyota Motor Manufacturing in Alabama will soon be powered by the sun. On April 5th, Toyota Alabama, Huntsville Utilities, and Toyota Tshuso America, Inc (TAI) announced a power purchase agreement (PPA) to support a 168-acre, $49 million solar project. This collaboration will lead to electricity generated from solar energy.
The collaborative project on solar power will be located in the city of Huntsville. According to Toyota, the switch to solar energy is expected to reduce CO2 by nearly 22,000 metric tons by generating 62,000-megawatt hours annually. This amount of solar energy could power over 5,600 US. homes.
This collaborative project is another step towards Toyota becoming carbon neutral by 2035.
President of Toyota Alabama, Jason Puckett said, “Toyota is taking a transparent, science-based approach to address climate change. By relying on the sun to power our operations, we will reduce our carbon footprint and create a model of environmental stewardship in North Alabama.”
TAI’s Energy Infrastructure Solutions team is currently the owner of the solar facility. They will lead the project’s development, manage the construction, and be responsible for long-term operations.
Additionally, the PPA with Huntsville Utilities starts a new era of clean energy production for the utility company. Most recently, Huntsville Utilities has been in a long-standing agreement with the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). This new project will shift TVA’s relationship with power companies across the Tennessee River Valley region.
Wes Kelley, president of Huntsville Utilities, said “Due to our collaboration with Toyota, TAI, and TVA, we are helping shape the future for communities and companies in the region and beyond. We are both proud and thankful to be a part of this project with Toyota.”
Since the start of Toyota Alabama, the plant has expanded six times. As of 2022, they have assembled more than 665,000 engines and hybrid engines.
Toyota’s Alabama Plant will begin using solar energy during the summer of 2024.
