Walmart has announced its investment in 19 new solar projects, including 15 community solar farms, across the United States.
As Electrek reported, Walmart's strategic partnership with Colorado-based solar energy provider Pivot Energy will facilitate the construction of 72 megawatts of community solar projects in five states — California, Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, and Maryland.
A news release on PR Newswire detailed that 41 megawatts of energy from solar farms in Colorado will provide power for low- and moderate-income households, relieving energy insecurity for thousands.
Landowners and farmers will also benefit from the sun-powered energy farms, as Pivot Energy will deploy several community solar projects on agricultural lands, a practice called agrivoltaics. The sites will have drip irrigation so crops can grow between the rows of solar panels, along with sheep grazing and habitat improvements.
According to the news release, Pivot Energy will begin construction on the solar projects in 2024 and 2025, enabling access to community solar subscriptions for an estimated 7,000 or more households. The energy provider expects customers to save more than $6 million annually on energy bills.
Per a Walmart press release, the company has also invested in seven additional community solar projects in two states developed by renewable energy company Reactivate. These projects are slated to bring customers around $700,000 in yearly savings.
The retail giant aims to enable the construction of 10 gigawatts of new renewable energy projects by 2030, which will generate enough electricity to power an estimated two million households.
These solar farms will also help curb planet-warming pollution from traditional energy sources like coal, oil, and gas. The Congressional Budget Office explained that the electric power sector generates around 30% of carbon pollution in the U.S.
However, this should drop gradually as the clean energy transition accelerates, thanks to industry leaders such as Walmart, Tesla, and First Solar helping pave the way to a sustainable future.
🗣️ If you don't have solar panels on your home, which of these factors is the biggest barrier to installing them?
🔘 Upfront costs 💰
🔘 Trouble with my HOA 🚩
🔘 Too much maintenance 🔧
🔘 An incompatible roof 🏠
🗳️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind
"Our partnership with Pivot demonstrates our approach to new clean energy investments, aimed at enabling high-impact, high-quality projects that drive positive outcomes," said Frank Palladino, vice president of renewable energy strategy at Walmart, in the PR Newswire news release.
"In addition to facilitating a cleaner power grid," Palladino continued, "this portfolio will help expand access to clean energy and provide direct savings on energy costs for thousands of households in the communities we serve, including low-and moderate-income communities."
Join our free newsletter for cool news and actionable info that makes it easy to help yourself while helping the planet.
Cool Picks
