Levi’s invests in renewable wind energy

The denim giant, Levi Straus, has joined Walmart Inc., other important Walmart suppliers, and Schneider Electric in the Gigaton Power Purchasing Agreement (GPPA), a buy-in-advance renewable energy purchase that will support the long-term viability of Ørsted’s  new Sunflower Wind Farm in Marion County, Kansas.

The agreement, a first-of-its-kind endeavor, allows the participants to purchase in advance a percentage of the renewable energy that the Sunflower Wind Farm will generate during the ensuing 12 years or around 250,000 megawatt-hours of wind energy each year. The energy will help LS&Co. meet its long-term energy goals to reduce emissions for 12 years, starting in 2024, as outlined in its most recent sustainability report, and will largely satisfy its electrical needs for its owned-and-operated enterprises in the U.S. and Canada.

These objectives include employing 100 percent renewable electricity in all company-operated facilities by 2025 and reducing Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 90 percent by that date. The majority of the energy it currently uses at its own facilities is renewable, and the greenhouse gas emissions from its company-operated activities often fall into the Scope 1 and 2 emissions categories and account for less than 1% of its overall global carbon footprint.

Jeffrey Hogue, chief sustainability officer of LS&Co., said that the Sunflower Wind Farm and the GPPA serve as reminders that new solutions are available to help organizations like LS&Co.-and many others-make progress toward their climate goals. While their Scope 1 and 2 emissions only represent a small fraction of their overall carbon footprint, it is crucial that they continue to use innovative solutions at their company-operated facilities to reach their target.

Pavan Pamidimarri, senior vice president of finance for operations and sourcing at LS&Co, added that by collaborating with other businesses on this project, their collective purchasing power is creating a road for clean energy.  In addition to bringing a new energy source to market, this agreement enables LS&Co. to invest in a project that will help them achieve their own targets for using renewable energy in their company-operated facilities.

The Sunflower Wind Farm, which is anticipated to remain operational for 30 years, is predicted to annually produce enough renewable energy to power about 96,000 homes.