Outdoor wear specialist REI and financial tech platform Intuit have joined forces with decarbonization company Clearloop to launch a massive solar farm in Tennessee, the companies announced.
The White Pine Solar Farm in White Pine, Tennessee, has launched with a 2.8 megawatt defined conditions (MWdc) capacity. Clearloop says that over its total lifetime, the project will stop more than 162 million pounds of carbon pollution from entering Earth's atmosphere. It also says that the White Pine Solar Farm will be able to power around 400 homes every year.
Since the project launched in May, the plant has already produced over 1,500 megawatt-hours of energy and prevented over 1.8 million pounds of carbon pollution from entering the atmosphere, according to a tracker on Clearloop's website.
Additionally, Intuit will donate 1600 renewable energy certificates every year for the next 40 years (totaling 64,000 certificates) to schools in Jefferson County and Hamblen County, which will make them some of the first schools powered by renewable energy in both Tennessee and the entire southeast region of the United States, according to Clearloop's release.
Launching sustainable energy projects on a local, state, and national level is one of the most important steps companies and governments can take toward building a cleaner future, as clean energy like solar power and wind power create an infinitesimally smaller amount of pollution than dirty energy alternatives like coal and petroleum.
Other promising clean energy projects of late include the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's expansion of renewable energy infrastructure, a startup's development of underwater air-based energy storage, and a possible increase in offshore wind projects.
Debbie Lizt, Intuit's head of global sustainability, said: "Our collaboration with Clearloop and the local community allows us to bring a meaningful and intentional focus to new solar projects in areas where we can provide environmental and economic benefits to the communities for years to come."
"The White Pine project represents an exciting addition to REI's renewable energy portfolio. We're proud to help usher in new-to-the-world solar energy in the Tennessee Valley," said Matt Thurston, REI's divisional vice president of sustainability.
"Clearloop's vision to decarbonise the grid by supporting projects that expand access to clean energy in more communities — along with the project's investments in the local workforce and regenerative land practices — is one in which we strongly believe."
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