As part of its ongoing efforts to lower the carbon footprint of its business, tech giant HP signed a 12-year power purchase agreement (PPA) for 112 MW of wind power with SunEdison's South Plains II wind farm, located in Texas.
The agreement, which is enough to fully power HP's Texas-based data center operations, will allow the company to meet reductions of greenhouse-gas emissions by the end of HP's 2015 fiscal year – five years ahead of schedule. HP currently operates Texas-based data centers in Houston, Hockley, Plano and two in Austin.
The company notes that the PPA represents its first utility-scale renewable energy purchase and continues the company's efforts to support innovative energy-optimized technology.
For SunEdison, the agreement allows construction to begin on the 300 MW South Plains II wind farm. The wind farm is expected to create more than 400 local construction jobs and up to 15 permanent jobs once the project is completed. Additionally, the project will provide a range of local economic benefits, including land lease payments and property tax revenues.
