SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Clearway Energy
Group (Clearway) announced today that it has signed a virtual power
purchase agreement (VPPA) with Toyota Motor North America (TMNA) to
support Clearway's 100 MW Wildflower Solar project in DeSoto County, Mississippi. Toyota will
purchase the majority of the electricity the project will generate,
80 MW, to replace the high emission electricity used in its
operations with zero emissions renewable electricity on the grid.
Wildflower is scheduled to begin operations in 2023 and is located
in proximity to Toyota's manufacturing facility within the
state.
The Wildflower project marks the second VPPA between Clearway
and Toyota in as many years, building upon the agreement that TMNA
signed for the Black Rock wind farm now nearing completion in
Grant County, West Virginia. That
project is also located near another of Toyota's manufacturing
facilities.
"We are excited to once again partner with Toyota to support
their ambitious net-zero goals," said Valerie Wooley, vice president of origination at
Clearway. "Additionally, we're as equally excited to be partnering
with them again in the local communities where we work and live,
helping create healthier communities and growing the local
economy."
The Wildflower VPPA portion Toyota will purchase is expected to
generate electric power equal to approximately 8% of what Toyota
takes off the grid for its domestic energy use in North America.
"Toyota continues to aggressively shift to renewable energy
sources for our operations while also working to improve the lives
of the people in communities where we work and live, all a part of
our efforts toward carbon neutrality," said Kevin Butt, regional environmental
sustainability director at Toyota Motor North America.
The Wildflower project adds to other solar and wind projects and
VPPAs that Toyota has pursued to accomplish one of its global
Environmental Challenge 2050 goals – to eliminate all carbon
emissions from its operations. Toyota Motor Corporation issued the
challenge as a set of six goals where the ultimate goal is
achieving a positive net impact on society. Separate from the VPPA
signed this time with Clearway, Toyota has shown its commitment to
renewable energy with on-site solar energy generation and has been
identified as one of the top 20 corporate users of installed onsite
solar capacity in the U.S., according to the Solar Energy
Industries Association.
During peak construction, Wildflower will create hundreds of
jobs and generate millions of dollars in spending in the local
community. The site will also utilize several permanent operations
and maintenance jobs. During the life of the project, Wildflower
Solar will provide $10 million to
DeSoto County through tax
revenues, supporting area public services as well as an additional
nearly $14 million for Mississippi public schools. The project will
generate enough clean energy to power nearly 16,500 homes each
year.
About Clearway Energy Group
Clearway Energy Group is leading the transition to a world
powered by clean energy. Along with our public affiliate Clearway
Energy, Inc., we own and operate over 7.5 gigawatts of renewable
and conventional energy assets across the country. As we develop a
nationwide pipeline of new renewable energy projects for the
future, Clearway's more than 5 gigawatts of wind, solar, and energy
storage assets offset the equivalent of nearly 8.8 million metric
tons of carbon emissions for our customers today. Clearway Energy
Group is headquartered in San Francisco,
CA with offices in Carlsbad,
CA; Scottsdale, AZ;
Houston, TX; and Princeton, NJ. For more information, visit
clearwayenergygroup.com.
About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE:TM), creator of the Prius hybrid and the Mirai fuel
cell vehicle, is committed to building vehicles for the way people
live through our Toyota and Lexus brands. Over the past 60 years,
we've built more than 40 million cars and trucks in North America, where we have 14 manufacturing
plants, 15 including our joint venture in Alabama (10 in the U.S.), and directly employ
more than 47,000 people (over 36,000 in the U.S.). Our 1,800
North American dealerships (nearly 1,500 in the U.S.) sold more
than 2.4 million cars and trucks (more than 2.1 million in the
U.S.) in 2020.
Media Contacts:
Art
Sasse
(Interim) Director, Communications
503-453-0051
art.sasse@clearwayenergy.com
Aaron Fowles
Mobility Communications
310-561-2321
aaron.fowles@toyota.com
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SOURCE Toyota Motor North America