This week Constellation,
an Exelon company, said it signed a long-term PPA with Starbucks to power more than 340 Illinois stores with 100 percent renewable energy produced by Enel Green Power (EGP) North America, Inc.’s HillTopper wind project in Logan, County, Ill.
The $325 million 185-MW HillTopper wind farm is expected to enter into service by the end of 2018 and could generate approximately 570 gigawatt-hours of electricity annually.
The deal is made possible by a separate long-term agreement between Enel and Constellation under which Constellation will purchase a 14-MW portion of the energy generated by HillTopper.
The agreement leverages the Constellation Offsite Renewables (CORe) offering, which increases access to renewable energy for commercial and industrial customers, enabling Starbucks to contribute to the development of HillTopper in Illinois, where the stores are located.
Rebecca Zimmer, director of global environmental impact for Starbucks said that the company is currently “identifying and investing in new green power projects that are close to our retail communities.”
“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.
