To help reach their sustainability goals, Starbucks and the software company Workday have teamed up to fund the construction of a massive 350-megawatt solar power installation in Texas.
The agreement was officiated by the Seattle startup LevelTen Energy, which is also providing financing for the Renewable Agriculture Inclusion for Underrepresented People program that connects those most disadvantaged within the agriculture sector to lucrative renewable energy projects.
Erik Hansen, the chief sustainability officer at Workday, told GeekWire: "This is a model of what a clean energy deal could look like, that thinks beyond volume. So not just environmental impact, [but] economic impact, workforce development, educational impact, all of that's wrapped up in what you think of as sustainability."
The expansive deal facilitated by LevelTen is a power purchase agreement that will last 15 years with the respective companies that have promised to buy energy from the new solar installation. This ensures the clean energy facility has guaranteed customers.
The deal has not come without challenges. Changing policies and tariffs orchestrated by the Trump administration have made the future of deploying the infrastructure murky. However, those involved in the deal explained to GeekWire that economic and community benefits from the deal are still expected.
Sustainable energy can reduce energy bills for businesses. Companies like Starbucks and Workday rely on significant energy to operate. The deal will also significantly contribute to a more lucrative economy, with under-supported farmers and landowners bolstering the booming market for clean energy.
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The strides of Starbucks' Greener Stores program have seen 9,000 locations meet its environmental benchmark, with efforts to add 1,000 more by the end of the year. Customers are seeing more cost-effective and planet-saving solutions — such as ceramic, drink-in mugs and free refills — although the company is not without its environmental criticisms, including for its CEO regularly commuting by private jet from California to Washington state.
"Demand is booming right now for energy, for electricity, for power, particularly clean electrons," Rob Collier, LevelTen's senior vice president of marketplaces, told GeekWire. "And that's driven by a number of pretty strong macroeconomic forcing functions: the need for data centers, and the increased demand due to AI [artificial intelligence]."
A robust economy, underpinned by clean energy infrastructure, is bound to make beneficial strides for the community and environment.
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