Cargill Invests in One of the Largest Solar Developments East of the Mississippi

(Credit: Pixabay)

by | Apr 22, 2020

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(Credit: Pixabay)

Geronimo Energy and Cargill announced today the execution of a Virtual Power Purchase Agreement (VPPA) for the Prairie Wolf Solar Project in Coles County, Illinois. The contract marks the second renewable energy VPPA executed between Cargill and Geronimo, the first being for a portion of the Crocker Wind Farm in Clark County, South Dakota.

Prairie Wolf is a 200-megawatt clean solar energy project located in the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) market. The project is anticipated to begin operations at the end of 2021. Once operational, Prairie Wolf is poised to represent the largest single solar investment in the State of Illinois, as well as one of the largest solar developments east of the Mississippi and one of the largest single project VPPAs in the country. Using the United States’ Environmental Protection Agency’s greenhouse gas equivalencies calculator, the project is estimated to offset carbon dioxide emissions by 285,000 metric tons annually.

In recent years, Cargill has ramped up its dependence on renewable energy and commitment to decrease its carbon emissions. In 2018, Cargill announced a commitment to cut carbon emissions from its transportation business by 15% by 2020. The company’s pledge was revealed in its first corporate responsibility report that focused specifically on its transportation business. Cargill also announced its plans to reduce gross greenhouse gas emissions by 10% by 2020 across its global operations.

And in 2019, Cargill, among other companies, helped launch the Plant Based Products Council (PBPC), which works to promote the adoption and use of products derived from renewable biomass.

The council’s membership includes businesses of varying sizes from across the United States that produce, distribute, or sell products or packaging from renewable biomass inputs as well as organizations that made related public sustainability commitments, according to the PBPC.

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