, a top 10 fiber provider, today announced the signing of its first two community solar agreements){kind=link}
Consolidated Communications (NASDAQ: CNSL), a top 10 fiber provider, today announced the signing of its first two community solar agreements. The use of climate-friendly energy is an important part of the Company’s growing sustainability efforts and helps ensure its continued stewardship of the environment.
When businesses, organizations or individuals subscribe to solar farms, the clean energy produced is fed directly to the utility grid, generating credits on subscribers’ electric bills for the value of the energy generated by their share of the farm. Community solar also benefits local economies by creating jobs, increasing tax revenues and generating income to support landowners.
Consolidated Communications Signs New Community Solar
Following conversations with multiple community solar developers across the company’s service area, Consolidated signed long-term agreements in Maine and Minnesota. The commitments, arranged with assistance from Insight Energy, increase the availability of clean power and help address climate change efforts.
In Maine, Consolidated is subscribed to 5.3 MW of solar capacity located in Versant Power. Its subscription is expected to generate approximately 6,470,335 kWh annually, enough to power 603 average U.S. households for a year,1 and will be supported by 409 company properties in the state.
In Minnesota, Consolidated is participating in the Solar*Rewards Community Program, the nation’s largest community solar program, administered by Xcel Energy. The company is subscribed to eight local solar gardens for nearly 2.6 MW of solar capacity, which is expected to generate approximately 3,092,466 kWh annually. This is enough to power 288 average U.S. households for a year.2
The energy generated from the two subscriptions is the equivalent of greenhouse gas emissions from nearly 763,000 gallons of gasoline consumed.3
“These commitments represent an important step in our journey to continue building a robust, sustainable business while reducing our environmental footprint,” said Bob Udell, Consolidated’s president and chief executive officer.
This year, the company is undertaking a more formalized study of its emissions footprint, beginning with the establishment of a Scope 2 emissions baseline. This baseline will help Consolidated measure and work toward reducing its overall Scope 2 emissions through future initiatives and programs.
The company has also embarked on a project to upgrade lighting to LED across more than 400 locations, as well as a range of other energy conservation measures to improve efficiency and drive further operational emission reductions. It is also establishing critical environmental goals around water consumption and waste, reuse and recycling programs — key areas within its everyday operations.
“At Consolidated, we’re working hard to sustainably deliver the critical broadband infrastructure our customers and communities rely on,” said Eric Dunmire, senior director of facilities at Consolidated Communications. “These agreements allow Consolidated to contribute to cleaner energy for our communities and protect our environment in a cost-competitive way.”
More information on the company’s environmental commitment and goals, notable accomplishments and progress on important initiatives is available at consolidated.com/esg.