The sun will now help power Lowe’s sustainability efforts in a major way.
Lowe’s is partnering with Swift Current Energy, a leading North American renewable energy company, to purchase 250 megawatts of clean electricity per year from the Black Diamond Solar Project in Illinois. The commitment will last 12 years.
The effort marks another milestone in Lowe’s journey to achieve the company’s 2030 goal of reducing its carbon emissions footprint by 40 percent.
Lowe’s first year of energy purchases from Black Diamond Solar Project will generate 535,000 megawatt hours of electricity. That is the equivalent of avoiding carbon dioxide emissions for more than 43,000 homes in one year.
More than one million solar panels will be installed along with approximately 100 inverters at the 2,000-acre site in Christian County, Illinois. Clean electricity will be sent into the power grid for residential use by the summer of 2023.
Lowe’s first purchase of renewable energy from a solar project demonstrates the company’s continued pursuit of reducing carbon emissions. Last year, Lowe’s announced adding a 100 MW wind farm project in Fisher County, Texas to its renewable energy portfolio.