Anthem has signed a 15-year power purchase agreement with SunEnergy1 for the output from a new 182-acre 20-megawatt solar field located in Hanover County, Virginia.
The Hanover County solar field is nearly complete and expected to be fully operational later this year. Combined with an additional solar field in North Carolina coming online in early 2021, Anthem will have supported the development of more than 1,000 acres of solar panels that will generate more than 225,000-megawatt hours of electricity per year.
The Virginia and North Carolina solar field locations were selected based on Anthem’s material load (major office and data center footprint) in the grid zone that includes both states. Anthem expects the solar field developments to generate enough renewable electricity to power all Anthem offices and data centers across the country.
“As we enter Climate Week, we’re celebrating an important step forward in achieving our renewable energy goal and are proud that Virginia is playing a large role as we increasingly focus on improving the sustainability of our operations and our business. By addressing environmental health, we can improve lives and the health of communities in our state and across the country and set the example for others to follow.”
Jeff Ricketts, president, Anthem Blue and Blue Shield in Virginia.
“Clean energy will power the future, and Virginia is leading the way. Since I took office, our administration has worked constantly to create new clean energy opportunities, and to make sure that Virginia is at the forefront of clean energy innovation. Virginia will power the grid with 100 percent clean energy in the years to come, thanks to this transformative new law and a comprehensive energy plan. It’s good to see employers like Anthem choose renewable energy, and we congratulate them on being part of the solution.”
Governor Ralph Northam, who signed the Virginia Clean Economy Act into law earlier this year.
