“A great way… to make progress”

An unexpected player is entering the Illinois solar market.

Coffee favorite Starbucks, in partnership with Nexamp, has committed to anchoring six solar farms in the state, Electrek reported. They will produce 40 megawatts, allowing 1,100 ComEd and Ameren customers to benefit from clean energy.

“Community solar is a great way for retailers to make progress toward their own sustainability goals while also playing a role in building renewable energy resources that can directly benefit their customers,” Nexamp CEO Zaid Ashai said in a press release.

“This was the case for Starbucks, which shares our vision of equal access to community members. Climate change is one of the most important issues of the day, and we can only make significant progress on decarbonization when companies join forces to develop effective, inclusive solutions.”

The farms are under construction and will be operational by 2025. The companies said they would like to continue working together on similar projects across the country.

This isn’t Starbucks’ first foray into community solar. In 2021, the company partnered with Generate on 23 projects in New York City. The venture initially contributed 24 MW of a potential 90 MW to the grid to power 24,000 homes and offset 70% of Starbucks’ electricity use in the state.

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This latest project is being billed as a job generator and workforce creator. Other partners include City Colleges of Chicago, Chicago Urban League, Uplift Community High School, 22C and other organizations working under the Future Energy Jobs Act. Starbucks will receive a portion of the renewable energy credits.

“Starbucks is committed to our environmental promise to give back more than we take, and we have a long history of renewable energy projects that bring clean energy to more communities,” said Michael Kobori, Starbucks Chief Sustainability Officer. “We are proud to support Nexamp’s efforts to bring solar energy to communities in areas where it can have the greatest impact and provide savings opportunities to community members.”

Community solar expands access to low-cost, renewable energy by providing customers with credits on their electric bills. To join the movement, check out this explainer and get started.

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