US telco giant AT&T has signed a power purchase agreement for 155MW of solar from developer Vitol.
The off-take agreements include one for approximately 80MW from the Bluegrass PV project located in Queen Anne’s County, Maryland.
AT&T will also take 75MW of power from the Swiftwater solar project, located in Monroe County, Pennsylvania.
The projects’ solar arrays will generate up to 300 construction jobs in Maryland and up to 300 construction jobs in Pennsylvania.
The solar sites are expected to be fully operational in 2022 and 2023, respectively.
AT&T has committed to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions across its global operations by 2035 and the electricity is needed to power the company’s network, its largest source of emissions.
These new deals with Vitol bring the company’s total portfolio to more than 1.7GW of capacity.
“Localized renewable generation is enabling corporates to own and address their emissions. Our highly connected way of life consumes huge amounts of energy and we are delighted to be working with AT&T to help develop sustainable energy solutions for their business,” said Andrew de Pass, Head of Renewables, Vitol.
“AT&T is investing in renewable energy because it is good for the planet and good for our business,” added Joe Taylor, vice president of global infrastructure optimization and implementation at AT&T.
“In addition to reducing our emissions footprint, deals like the ones with Vitol allow us to hedge against changes in energy costs and support economic development in communities we serve. It’s a win-win-win.”