NEW YORK, Aug. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Apple, Akamai,
Etsy and Swiss Re today announced an agreement to develop two new
wind and solar energy farms in Illinois and Virginia. Spearheaded by Apple, the new
projects will generate 290 megawatts to the PJM electric grid
serving much of the Eastern United
States, including areas of Virginia, Illinois, Pennsylvania, New
Jersey, and Maryland. The
two new projects will provide enough power for 74,000 homes, and
will support each of the companies' operations.
Akamai, Etsy and Swiss Re previously had limited opportunity to
access large renewable energy projects in the regions covered by
the thirteen state PJM wholesale electric market. By collaborating
with Apple, these companies were able to access wind and solar
power from the new projects at competitive prices and agreement
terms. Collaborations like this accelerate the pace at which new
renewable energy generation is built and brought online.
The group, with technical assistance from 3Degrees, will
collectively purchase 125 megawatts from a wind farm near
Chicago and 165 megawatts from a
solar PV project outside Fredericksburg,
Virginia, which will be delivered to the electric grid
covered by the PJM wholesale electric market. The projects are
expected to come online over the next two years. The solar and wind
projects will be developed by sPower (an AES and AIMCo company) and
Geronimo Energy, respectively.
"At Apple, we're proud to power all of our operations around the
world with 100 percent renewable energy," said Lisa Jackson, Apple's Vice President of
Environment, Policy and Social Initiatives. "In the process, we've
charted a course for other companies and organizations to purchase
renewable energy and transition their own operations to greener
power. The collaboration announced today shows how companies of all
sizes can address climate change by coming together."
"Etsy is excited to be a part of a project that will benefit
both the planet and our customers," said Rachel Glaser, Etsy Chief Financial Officer.
"This agreement will help Etsy to meet our goal of powering
operations with 100% renewable electricity while also innovating by
paving the way for small companies to participate in the renewable
energy market."
"We are proud to be partnering with these corporate leaders to
accelerate renewable energy adoption. For Akamai, this
collaboration was critical in closing these deals; and, in
conjunction with our Texas wind
project signed last year, we are on target to achieve our 2020
global renewable energy goal," said Jim
Benson, Akamai EVP and CFO.
"As a leader in mitigating climate risk, Swiss Re aims to reduce
its carbon footprint and support renewable energy, which is why
we're so happy to be part of this collaboration," said Brian Beebe, Head of Origination North America,
Weather and Energy, Swiss Re Corporate Solutions. "We also hope to
speed up the adoption of these clean technologies through Swiss Re
Corporate Solutions' innovative insurance products, which help
owners of wind and solar assets decrease cash flow
uncertainty."
"We commend Apple's leadership in this collaboration between
them, Akamai and Etsy. Without this group of forward-thinking
companies this project would not be a reality," said Ryan Creamer, CEO of sPower.
About Akamai
As the world's largest and most trusted
cloud delivery platform, Akamai makes it easier for its customers
to provide the best and most secure digital experiences on any
device, anytime, anywhere. Akamai's massively distributed platform
is unparalleled in scale with over 200,000 servers across 130
countries, giving customers superior performance and threat
protection. Akamai's portfolio of web and mobile performance, cloud
security, enterprise access, and video delivery solutions are
supported by exceptional customer service and 24/7 monitoring. To
learn why the top financial institutions, e-commerce leaders, media
& entertainment providers, and government organizations
trust Akamai please visit www.akamai.com, blogs.akamai.com, or
@Akamai on Twitter. For more information about Akamai's renewable
energy program please visit our sustainability site.
About Etsy
Etsy is the global marketplace for unique
and creative goods. Our mission is to keep commerce human, and
we're committed to using the power of business to strengthen
communities and empower people. We connect millions of buyers and
sellers from nearly every country in the world. Buyers come to Etsy
to be inspired and delighted by items that are crafted and curated
by creative entrepreneurs. For sellers, we offer a range of tools
and services that address key business needs.
Etsy was founded in 2005 and is headquartered in Brooklyn,
New York.
About Swiss Re
The Swiss Re Group is one of the
world's leading providers of reinsurance, insurance and other forms
of insurance-based risk transfer, working to make the world more
resilient. It anticipates and manages risk – from natural
catastrophes to climate change, from ageing populations to cyber
crime. The aim of the Swiss Re Group is to enable society to thrive
and progress, creating new opportunities and solutions for its
clients. Headquartered in Zurich,
Switzerland, where it was founded in 1863, the Swiss Re
Group operates through a network of around 80 offices globally. It
is organised into three Business Units, each with a distinct
strategy and set of objectives contributing to the Group's overall
mission.
About sPower
sPower, an AES and AIMCo company, is the
largest private owner of operating solar assets in the United
States. sPower owns and operates a portfolio of solar and
wind assets greater than 1.3 GW and has a development pipeline of
more than 10 GW. sPower is owned by a joint venture partnership
between The AES Corporation (NYSE: AES), a worldwide energy company
headquartered in Arlington,
Virginia, and the Alberta Investment Management Corporation,
one of Canada's largest and most
diversified institutional investment fund managers. For more
information, visit www.sPower.com.
Media Contacts:
Apple
Keri Fulton
240.595.2691
Keri_fulton@apple.com
Akamai
Chris Nicholson
617.444.2987
cnichols@akamai.com
Etsy
Sarah Marx
240.304.9997
smarx@etsy.com
Swiss Re
Shannon O'Hara
+41 79 572 11 07
shannon_ohara@swissre.com
Geronimo Energy
Lindsay T. Smith
952.358.5672
lindsay@geronimoenergy.com
sPower
Camille Press
801.679.3542
cpress@spower.com
3Degrees
Rachel Fagan
512.402.8683
rfagan@3degreesinc.com
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SOURCE Akamai Technologies, Inc.