7-Eleven, Inc. will energize 425 stories in Texas with wind energy it will buy from TXU Energy. This initiative is expected to reduce 7-Eleven’s carbon footprint by 6.7 percent and reduce operating costs.
The energy will come exclusively from wind farms in Texas, which is a state with more than 10,000 turbines. The agreement is 96 months and begins June 1, 2018.
“This agreement is beneficial for 7-Eleven on several fronts,” Ben Tison, 7-Eleven senior vice president of development, said in a press release. “Wind energy is a renewable, more cost-effective resource that will lower the carbon footprint of these stores as well as operating costs. Our customers, particularly Millennials and the younger Generation Z, care about sustainability and reducing environmental impacts, and they’re paying attention to what companies are doing.”
Last year, 7-Eleven outlined three steps to reduce its environmental footprint, touching on people, planet and products. The planet pillar, for example, means reducing its energy footprint in stores by 20 percent by 2025. The retail chain has already taken steps to reach their goal by installing LED lighting, energy management systems, and high-efficiency heating and air conditioning units.
“Our goal was to make sure that we were helping 7-Eleven reach its sustainability goals,” Gabe Castro, vice president of business for TXU Energy, said. “We were able to do that by helping them through the process to evaluate all of the options available, and then customizing a complete solution to help them reach those goals. We are proud to collaborate with 7-Eleven.”
Texas is a perfect state for 7-Eleven to be making these lofty wind power goals. It is, in fact, the leading state when it comes to wind capacity, both installed and under construction. Texas is also home to six of the top 10 largest wind farms in the nation, according to the U.S. Energy Information Association. The 781.5 megawatt Roscoe Wind Farm, 220 miles west of Dallas, is the largest in the world with 627 turbines across 100,000 acres.
Wind power in Texas hasn’t only provided a source of clean energy, it’s also a big economic driver, creating more than 22,000 jobs in operations and maintenance, construction, manufacturing and many support sectors, according American Wind Energy Association.
Source: ecowatch.com
