Walmart to power 40 stores with solar

Walmart Inc. will use solar energy to power more than 40 stores in five states under a deal reached this week with a renewable-energy investor in New York.

The Bentonville retailer signed 46 power-purchase agreements and leases with C2 Energy Capital LLC, a news release said. The solar installations will produce more than 65 million kilowatt-hours of renewable energy annually, and are expected to supply 10% to 50% of each store's electricity demand, the energy provider said.

The Walmart stores are in Arizona, California, Louisiana, Maryland and New Jersey, Bloomberg News reported.

Walmart began working with the energy provider last year to install 13 solar arrays on stores in South Carolina. Twelve of those are store rooftop projects that are already in operation, and a ground-mount solar panel array is under construction at a Walmart distribution center.

Mark Vanderhelm, Walmart's vice president of energy, said in the news release that solar power "is a vital component of Walmart's expanding renewable energy portfolio." He said the planned projects "are moving us in the right direction toward our renewable energy goals."

Walmart's sustainability goals include having half of its buildings powered with renewable energy by 2025. The retailer reported Wednesday that about 28% of its electricity now comes from renewable energy sources.

Business on 05/10/2019

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