Walmart Increasing Wind Power

As we look at state's push into renewables, as we just did with CA, it is wonderful to see major companies concurrent heavy investment in getting to 100% clean energy across their global operations.  Walmart is clearly leading the pack.  Wonderful to see them partner with a major wind farm in Texas.  Who could have predicted some of these first-time partnerships?

The world’s largest retailer has just taken a major step towards its goal of obtaining 100 per cent of its energy from renewable sources after signing an agreement to buy more than half the power generated by a Texas wind farm.

The company will purchase wind power produced by Pattern Energy’s recently completed 200 MW Logan Gap Wind Facility; located in Comanche County. The 10-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with Pattern represents nearly 20 per cent of Walmart’s U.S. renewable energy goals.

“Walmart has a goal to be supplied by 100 percent renewable energy, and sourcing from wind energy projects — like the Logan’s Gap Wind Facility — is a core component in the mix,” said Mark Vanderhelm, vice president of energy for Walmart.

“The energy we’ll procure from this facility represents nearly one-fifth of the U.S. portion of our goal to source seven billion kilowatt hours of renewable energy by 2020. That’s a significant leap forward on our renewable energy journey.”

That journey has seen Walmart become one of the USA’s largest investors in clean energy projects, particularly wind and solar power. The company was ranked third in this year’s U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Top 50 Green Power Partnership for renewable energy usage.

Walmart announced late last year SunEdison, Inc. (NYSE:SUNE) would be one of two firms to install up to 400 new solar power systems at Walmart sites across the USA.

Pattern’s Logan Gap wind facility will sell 75 percent of its energy to Walmart and an unnamed financial institution, with Walmart taking a 58 percent share. Consisting of 87 Siemens 2.3 MW wind turbines and with a total capacity of 200 MW, Logan’s Gap Wind will create enough clean energy to power 50,000 Texas homes.

“We are pleased to be working with one of the leading corporations in the world as it acquires renewable energy and lowers its carbon footprint,” said Mike Garland, CEO of Pattern Energy. “We are increasingly partnering with America’s leading companies as they recognize that wind power, which continues to decline in cost, is both good for the environment and good for business.”

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