Starbucks Invests in Solar Power for 360 Texas Locations solar plan
If you drop into a Starbucks in Texas, chances are your experience is a lot greener than it used to be. The coffee giant announced today that it’s partnered with the solar energy company Cypress Creek Renewables to fund two solar farms which are providing enough energy to power 360 Starbucks locations in areas including Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth, Plano, and Arlington.
“At Starbucks, we are proud of our 30-year legacy in environmental leadership as we know the planet is our most important partner,” Rebecca Zimmer, Starbucks director of global environmental impact, said in the announcement. “Our long-standing commitment to renewable energy supports our greener retail initiative and demonstrates our aspiration to sustainable coffee, served sustainably. Now, we are investing in new, renewable energy projects in our store communities, which we know is something our partners and customers can appreciate for their local economy and for the environment.”
The two solar farms which are currently up-and-running are 10-megawatt Cypress Creek-owned projects in Wharton and Blossom, Texas. On top of that, Starbucks says it will also be investing in six other Cypress Creek solar farms — a deal that was put together by the U.S. Bancorp Community Development Corporation (USBCDC), which previously helped Starbucks on a similar deal on a solar farm in North Carolina that produces enough power for 600 locations.
“Starbucks is taking a unique approach — investing in solar farms regionally to support a specific group of its stores,” Chris Roetheli, business development officer with the USBCDC, explained. “This is a new concept and one that I think other companies are watching and may follow. It’s an interesting model that allows them to talk specifically about the impact of their investments.”
Starbucks also used this news as an opportunity to remind customers that its company-owned stores are the number one purchaser of renewable electricity in the retail sector according to the EPS’s Green Power Partnership.
