DaVita Dives in With Wind and Solar
By 2022, DaVita Inc. expects to use 100 percent renewable energy. The company has contracted with Longroad Energy on two virtual power purchase agreements (PPAs) facilitating the development of clean energy projects in Texas. Together, DaVita’s share of these projects will generate as much renewable energy as the amount of electricity used annually by the company’s North American operations.
“We strive to be a community first, and a company second,” said Javier Rodriguez, Chief Executive Officer for DaVita Kidney Care. “A healthy community cares for its people, its environment and future generations. Projects like this show that good business decisions can give rise to strong communities.”
DaVita’s share of the two projects in Texas, a wind farm and a solar farm, will generate approximately 625,000 megawatt hours (MWh) of clean energy each year. This energy is the equivalent of avoiding carbon dioxide emissions from the annual electricity use of roughly 52,000 U.S. homes.
“Longroad is proud to invest in local communities that host our projects, with economic benefits including land rent payments, tax revenues that will be used for local school districts and county services, and hundreds of construction jobs,” said Paul Gaynor, the CEO of Longroad Energy. “Providing local economic benefits while delivering low cost clean energy to the grid is what makes it a win-win for the local communities, electric ratepayers, and environmentally responsible companies such as DaVita.”
Schneider Electric Energy & Sustainability Services served as an advisor to DaVita on its selection of these projects.
“Companies like DaVita are changing the face of renewable energy generation,” said John Powers, VP of Strategic Renewables for Schneider Electric.
“Executing a wind and a solar deal at the same time, in the same region, is an innovative strategy. Wind and solar generate electricity at different times of the day and different times of the year. By embracing both technologies simultaneously, DaVita is achieving valued diversification and helping to advance the industry. We want to congratulate DaVita for their leadership and for their commitment to clean energy for a healthy future.”
DaVita is committed to environmental sustainability, implementing programs that aim to mitigate climate change and positively impacting the communities it serves. Today, DaVita continues to work toward its 2020 Environment Goals, which focus on the company’s energy, water, waste, buildings and supply chain practices.
More information on DaVita’s commitment to sustainability is available here.