T-Mobile inks five contracts in pursuit of 100% renewables pledge

US telecom T-Mobile US Inc (NASDAQ:TMUS) has sealed five new contracts for the purchase of power from solar and wind parks, thus ensuring 95% of its RE100 commitment to use 100% renewables by 2021, it announced on Thursday.

The wireless company said it has signed green contracts involving three solar projects in Virginia -- Foxhound, Greenville and Myrtle, one in Texas -- Rockhound, and a wind project in Otter Creek, Illinois. It did not give more details about the contracts.

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

On the same day, US utility Dominion Energy Inc (NYSE:D) announced it has acquired the 15-MW Myrtle Solar project in the City of Suffolk, Virginia, from Savion LLC, a subsidiary of the Green Investment Group (GIG) owned by Australia’s Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX:MQG). Dominion noted that T-Mobile will buy the plant’s output and renewable energy credits when it begins operations in the second quarter of 2020.

Also on Thursday, the North American unit of French energy group Engie SA (EPA:ENGI) officially put online the 276-MW Solomon Forks wind farm in Kansas. The move adds 650,000 MWh of annual power supply to the grid, said T-Mobile, which announced in January 2018 it had agreed to buy the output of a 160-MW portion of that plant. The other off-taker is retailer Target Corp (NYSE:TGT).

T-Mobile has a similar deal for the exact same capacity from the 300-MW Red Forks wind park in Oklahoma, which became operational in December 2017. The telecom has pledged to power all of its operations, including cell towers, customer care centres, retail stores and headquarters, with renewables by 2021.

Since announcing the goal last year, the wireless company has secured contracts for 3,017,000 MWh of renewable power, covering 95% of its pledge.