Solar power developer and operator Sol Systems is launching a renewable energy acquisition and investment strategy with Google, which enables the development of new solar energy projects and supports the local communities where the projects are built.
The companies have built an integrated clean energy investment and procurement strategy for solar projects developed by Pine Gate Renewables in North Carolina and South Carolina. This strategy provides capital to enable 225 MW DC of new solar projects and 18 MW of battery storage. These resources are being developed in an area with a relatively low share of renewable energy, which is particularly focused on Google and its 24/7 carbon-free energy goal.
Along with this investment, Google and Sol Systems will use the capital to seed critical investments in regional community organizations that serve under-resourced and minority communities. The investment focuses on reducing the energy burden by enabling critical home weatherization and security upgrades in low- and moderate-income (LMI) households.
Four regional organizations will receive seed funding from the partnership: Roanoke Electric Cooperative (NC), Santee Electric Cooperative (SC), Aiken Electric Cooperative (SC) and the Sustainability Institute of South Carolina.
“We are honored to work with Google, a pioneer in renewable energy procurement and community investment,” says Sol Systems CEO Yuri Horwitz. “As they have in the past, they continue to provide leadership and innovation to our industry. We look forward to building on this work going forward.”
“Our goal is that by 2030, every Google data center will be running on clean energy every hour of every day. As we work towards this goal, we are committed to ensuring that the communities in which we operate actively benefit from the clean energy transition,” added Christopher Scott, Google’s Director of Energy. “We are excited to partner with Sol Systems not only to bring new solar projects online to one of the most difficult to decarbonize grids, but also to work with them to lower the energy burden in under-resourced communities through a clean energy transition.”
