Hershey's to procure Texas solar power under 140-MW deal with National Grid

US chocolate producer Hershey Co (NYSE:HSY), better known as Hershey’s, will offtake most of the electricity coming from a 150-MW solar park planned to be built by National Grid Renewables in Texas’ Falls County.

National Grid Renewables, part of the ventures division of UK’s National Grid Plc (LON:NG), announced the power purchase agreement (PPA) along with the start of construction activities on the project on Thursday. The Minneapolis-based developer will build the photovoltaic (PV) farm and couple it with a 100-MWh battery storage system.

Subscribe for Renewables Now's Corporate PPA Newsletter here for free!

The PPA with Hershey will see the chocolate and cookies manufacturer buy power from a 140-MW portion of the proposed solar park. The contract, which follows another PPA with National Grid from last year, is aligned with its goal to reduce Scope 1 and 2 emissions by more than 50% by 2030 and pursue a 25% reduction of Scope 3 emissions by the same year.

The Copperhead solar park will be equipped with First Solar’s Series 6 thin-film PV modules, while the integrated battery storage system will be supplied by Fluence Energy Inc. The complex will be installed by engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) firm TIC—The Industrial Company.