Telecommunications company and internet service provider Consolidated Communications has signed two long-term community solar agreements in Maine and Minnesota, with the assistance of Insight Energy.
The agreements are part of the firm’s sustainability efforts.
“These commitments represent an important step in our journey to continue building a robust, sustainable business while reducing our environmental footprint,” Consolidated Communications’ President and CEO Bob Udell said.
In Maine, the firm has subscribed to 5.3 MW of solar capacity with Versant Power. The arrangement is expected to bring in approximately 6.47 million kWh of energy annually, enough to power 603 average U.S. households.
In Minnesota, Consolidated Communications has participated in Xcel Energy-administered Solar*Rewards Community Program, subscribing to eight local solar gardens, offering approximately 2.6 MW of solar capacity. It is expected to generate an estimated 3,092,466 kWh of energy annually, which is enough to power 288 average U.S. homes.
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Solar farm subscriptions mean the energy produced by these farms is fed to the utility grid and the subscribers receive credits for the value of the energy generated by their share of the solar farm. The energy from Consolidated Communications’ two subscriptions is equivalent to removing GHG emissions from nearly 763,000 gallons of gasoline consumed.
Additionally, the firm is also conducting a study of its emissions footprint this year, starting with the setting of its Scope 2 emissions baseline and working towards a reduction in these emissions through initiatives and programs.
“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.”
Consolidated Communications operates a fiber optic network for more than 50,000 route miles and provides high-speed internet, data, phone, security, cloud and wholesale carrier services.
