Harnessing the Power of Wind
By Joseph Taylor, VP of Global Technology Optimization & Implementation, AT&T
As one of the world’s largest companies, we know that how we source our energy is important. That’s why AT&T has been working across our company and the industry on renewable energy projects that deliver for both our business and the environment.
This week, we announced our purchase of 520 megawatts (MW) of renewable energy, through 2 agreements with subsidiaries of NextEra Energy Resources. 220 MW of power will come from the Minco V Wind Farm located in Caddo County, Oklahoma. 300 MW will come from a wind farm in Webb and Duval Counties in Texas. Together, these deals constitute one of the largest corporate renewable energy purchases in the U.S.i
Put into perspective, the carbon savings from these projects are equivalent to taking 350,595 vehicles off the road each year.ii And the power they will produce is enough to power over 250,000 homes annually.iii The wind farms will also feature over 200 wind turbines that use no water for power generation, and will allow the land to remain in agricultural use.
AT&T’s wind projects are not only good for the environment, they will also deliver economic benefits. In total, NextEra Energy Resources projects the wind farms will create 450 construction jobs and $110 million in local tax revenues.iv Along with new jobs and tax revenues, the projects are expected to stimulate local economies during their construction with increased local spending for goods and services.
While the benefits of renewable energy are clear, purchases of this size and scope are complex. AT&T has long been working on our agreements and we have looked to groups like the Business Renewables Center and the Renewable Energy Buyers Alliance as resources. We are also signing on to the Corporate Renewable Buyers’ Principles, a group led by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).
This renewable energy purchase is just one part of our larger commitment to the environment. In 2015, we set a goal to create a carbon savings 10 times the footprint of our operations by 2025. We are making progress towards our goalv and will continue to use it as a framework to grow our renewable energy portfolio and our commitment to create a better, more sustainable world.
i Business Renewables Center (2017). BRC Deal Tracker. http://businessrenewables.org/corporate-transactions/
ii EPA Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator: https://www.epa.gov/energy/greenhouse-gas-equivalencies-calculator
iii EPA Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator: https://www.epa.gov/energy/greenhouse-gas-equivalencies-calculator
iv Estimated over first 30 years of the project. All figures are estimated and subject to change.
v http://about.att.com/content/dam/csr/sustainability-reporting/PDF/2017/ATT-Goals.pdf
