Commercial, Sourcing Renewables, Wind  -  November 28, 2018

Starbucks signs agreement for wind power in Illinois

Starbucks has signed a long-term agreement with Constellation, an Exelon company, to power more than 340 company-operated stores in Illinois with 100% renewable energy. The energy will be sourced from Enel Green Power North America’s HillTopper wind project, located in Logan County Ill. The deal is supported by a separate long-term agreement between Enel and Constellation that calls for Constellation to purchase 14 megawatts of energy generated by HillTopper.

“It’s exciting to see Starbucks continue its commitment to play a role in the growth of renewable energy markets,” said Rebecca Zimmer, director of global environmental impact for Starbucks, in a statement. “We are identifying and investing in new green power projects that are close to our retail communities and give our store partners a story they can be proud of.”

The statement noted that these linked agreements reinforce Starbucks’ commitment to greening its operations through energy and water conservation measures and advancing renewable energy sources through its purchasing practices. The deal will enable Starbucks to support the generation of approximately 48,000 megawatt-hours of wind power from HillTopper, which is expected to become operational by the end of 2018. The wind facility will have a total capacity of 185 megawatts and, once fully operational, will be able to generate around 570 gigawatt-hours of electricity annually.

 “An increasing number of commercial and industrial customers are choosing renewables as a competitive and clean way to meet their energy needs and they look for customized solutions addressing their specific energy profile,” said Georgios Papadimitriou, head of Enel Green Power North America. “The agreement with Constellation is an example of an innovative approach we are taking to meet the needs of these commercial and industrial customers to enable them to achieve their sustainability targets in a cost-effective way.”

Edison Energy provided renewable energy market access, project due diligence, and customer education to support the transaction process.

All four participants in these agreements—Starbucks, Constellation, Enel Green Power, and Edison Energy--participated in the recent Smart Energy Decisions Renewable Energy Sourcing Forum event in October.

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