These 5 Companies Use Solar or Wind Energy to Power their HQs in Texas – GWC Mag

Texas has made significant strides in its renewable energy program. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) used to rely heavily on coal, but 2019 was a banner year for the state.

According to ERCOT, which manages about 90% of the state’s grid, wind power supplanted coal when it comes to energy consumption. In 2019, coal energy contributed 21.37% to the network, compared to 21.78% from the wind farms.

The difference might be minuscule, but it is nonetheless impressive considering that Texas only started promoting solar and wind farms recently. It shows that the state’s green energy plans are working, and the energy generated by both solar and wind farms is going back to the grid to power homes.

The best thing is that companies with headquarters in Texas are following the lead of the state to pursue green alternatives in power generation.

Here are some of the companies that are worthy of emulation:

1. Facebook — The Cupertino-based company has built a data center located in Fort Worth, Texas, with a total investment of $1 billion. The company is also investing in a wind farm to power the data center. It partnered with Alterra Power Corp. Starwood Energy Group and Citigroup Energy to develop the farm in a 17,000-acre field in Clay County.
2. Starbucks — The Seattle-based company also announced its green energy plans in Texas last year. The company partnered with Cypress Creek to build a 50-megawatt solar farm in the Lone Star State. It is part of the coffee retail chain’s goal of powering 10,000 stores in the United States and Canada using solar and wind energy by 2025. The company recently invested $140 million for wind and solar initiatives in Texas, Oklahoma, and North Carolina.
3. Whole Foods –– The health-food chain has more than 30 outlets in Texas. For a considerable time now, the company has been adopting green business practices in its stores. As such, Whole Foods has been investing in alternative sources to power its stores. For instance, its Renewable Energy Credits initiatives resulted in preventing 551,000 tons of CO2 from being released into the atmosphere. About 25 of its stores use solar power. Meanwhile, compost initiatives allowed the company to cut residual waste by a minimum of 80%.
4. Dell Inc. — The computer hardware firm is one of the pioneering companies in Texas that experimented with alternative sources for its energy requirements. As early as 2008, the company partnered with TXU Energy Wind Power and Waste Management to power its 2.1-million-square-foot HQ in Austin. The company continues its green efforts as it is estimated that more than 40% of its energy consumption comes from RE.
5. Texas Instruments — The semiconductor firm has headquarters both in Dallas and Richardson. The company has been very active in pursuing green initiatives like RE energy sources. But the projects have been a boon to Texas Instruments, as well, as it reported a $5 million savings annually.

Those are the five multinational companies that use renewable sources to power their headquarters in Texas. Other large businesses should also sit up and take note, considering the amount of savings generated each year because of effective green practices.

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