Meta Signs 595 MW Renewable Energy Deals In Texas

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, has further intensified its sustainability journey through four environmental attribute purchase agreements (EAPAs) signed with Zelestra, a Spanish renewable energy company based in Madrid. The agreements will make available 595 megawatts (MW) of renewable energy for Meta's data centers in Texas.

Meta is committed to environmental sustainability, and as part of this commitment, it has set a goal to achieve net-zero emissions across its entire value chain by 2030. The company, which is considered one of the largest corporate buyers of renewable energy, achieved its goal of meeting 100% of its operational energy needs with renewable sources back in 2020. By 2025, Meta expects to add 9.8 GW of renewable energy to U.S. local grids through various supported wind and solar energy projects.

Meta recently signed a deal with Zelestra, an effort to diversify its portfolio of renewable energy sources, which is still very much in pursuit in Texas. In the beginning of this year, the company signed an EAPA with the subsidiary of the France-based Engie Group called Engie North America for 200 MW of renewable energy produced by Engie's Anson 2 solar project in Jones County, Texas. This followed a previous agreement of 260 MW in November with Engie's Sypert Branch solar project in Milam County, Texas.

We are excited to announce these solar projects with Zelestra. The renewable energy from these projects will support our data center operations, as well as our ongoing efforts to match our electricity usage with 100% clean and renewable energy." This is how Urvi Parekh, Meta's Head of Global Energy, described the company's cooperation with Zelestra.

Under the new agreements, Zelestra will build four solar projects across Hopkins, Lamar, Lampasas, and Henderson counties in Texas. These projects will feed 595 MW of electricity into the Texas Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) grid, significantly contributing to the state’s renewable energy capacity. The partnership with Zelestra has now expanded to six EAPAs, which the renewable energy provider will be supplying Meta with a total of 800 MW of power. In April 2024, the two companies had signed agreements for 210 MW from two Zelestra solar plants in Indiana.

Zelestra is a global leader in developing, commercializing, and operating large-scale renewable energy projects. The company has a strong portfolio of 28 GW carbon-free energy initiatives across 13 countries, utilizing clean energy technologies such as solar photovoltaic (PV), wind, battery energy storage systems (BESS), and hydrogen solutions. Zelestra currently has 6.6 GW direct current (GWdc) renewable energy projects under development in multiple U.S. states.

Phillip North, CEO of Zelestra US, commented: "We are delighted to triple the size of our partnership with Meta, which shows we are aligned in our commitment to accelerating decarbonization. The agreement is a major boost to our wider ambition of doubling our total contracted renewables portfolio across the US in the next two years.

This partnership between Meta and Zelestra is a landmark in the corporate renewable energy landscape. It underlines the increasing trend of major companies heavily investing in clean energy initiatives as a means to combat climate change and reduce carbon footprints. By prioritizing renewable energy for its operations, Meta not only advances its sustainability goals but also sets an example for other corporations to adopt environmentally responsible practices.

Latest Agreements to Be Beneficial to the State of Texas, Leading in Renewable Energy Production The new agreements will add to the growth of new solar projects in Hopkins, Lamar, Lampasas, and Henderson counties, probably boosting local economies, creating jobs, and strengthening the state's energy resilience.

As the world continues to push for clean energy, such cooperation with big entities, as in the case of Meta and Zelestra, is turning out to be of extreme importance because it gives corporations a crucial role in effecting this kind of energy transition. Harnessing renewable resources for the production of energy helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions, as well as foster a cleaner and more sustainable future.