Digital Realty is expanding its renewable energy and sustainability initiatives with a long-term power purchase agreement to source solar power for a portion of its Northern Virginia portfolio and a utility green tariff to supply renewable power to its Oregon data centre development project. In total, these agreements will add 227,000 megawatt-hours of new clean energy to the regional electric grids where Digital Realty operates, enough electricity to meet the needs of 27,900 homes for a year.
The long-term power purchase agreement with Engie North America will supply Digital Realty’s Northern Virginia data centres with 107,000 additional megawatt-hours of renewable solar power annually. Â The 50-megawatt project will bring the company’s total new wind and solar power under contract to 338 megawatts and is expected to come online in late 2020.
Digital Realty also signed a green tariff agreement with Portland General Electric (PGE) which will supply approximately 120,000 megawatt-hours annually to Digital Realty’s data centre development project in Hillsboro, Oregon under the large customer option of the utility’s recently launched Green Future Impact programme. Â Through this programme, PGE worked with Digital Realty and other large customers to source new solar or wind generation in Oregon under long-term contracts. Â PGE will retire the renewable energy credits generated by the solar or wind project on behalf of each enrolled customer.
“We are pleased to be able to help our customers meet their renewable energy goals by bringing additional renewables to Virginia and supporting an innovative new renewable energy tariff offered by PGE in Oregon,” said Digital Realty Chief Executive Officer A. William Stein. “We place a high priority on sourcing net-new renewable energy as we expand our portfolio, and each market has its own unique pathway to identifying and realising impactful and cost-effective renewable solutions,” added Digital Realty Senior Director of Sustainability Aaron Binkley.
Digital Realty’s renewable procurement to date includes 100% renewable energy for its EMEA portfolio, 100% wind power for its U.S. colocation business unit and 100% carbon-free and renewable power supplied to several Northern California properties. In addition, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has recognised Digital Realty as one of the top 100 buyers of renewable energy in the country.
