Leading office furniture manufacturer Steelcase has announced a 12 year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Apex Clean Energy for 25MW of wind power – accounting for almost half of the company’s renewable energy purchases.
The company had already reached its 100% renewable electricity goal when it joined RE100 during Climate Week NYC in September 2015. It had been buying renewable energy credits equivalent to all of its global electricity consumption since 2014, but was seeking to diversify its renewable energy mix.
For Steelcase, investing in renewable energy means taking steps to recognize its own environmental impacts while helping grow an industry that will ultimately lead to a cleaner energy future.
“Our decision to partner with Apex and execute a long-term renewable energy agreement reflects our longstanding commitment to drive a clean energy landscape”, said Jim Keane, Steelcase president and CEO.
“At a time when businesses and governments are working to align on climate strategies, we maintain a sense of urgency and optimism. We are focused on finding new ways to reduce our overall energy use and investing in innovative, economically beneficial projects like this one to take one step closer to a sustainable energy future.”
The announcement was welcomed by Roberto Zanchi, Technical Manager – Renewable Energy at CDP, which partners with The Climate Group on RE100:
“By signing the PPA, Steelcase is making a long term commitment to sourcing renewable energy from the wind farm, directly supporting the construction and operation of a new renewable energy project.
“It's a combination of strong business case and environmental impact. Steelcase has made a commendable choice.”
Steelcase has a long history of supporting renewable energy development that dates back to 2001. The company is one of the top 50 green power users in the United States, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and received a Green Power Leadership Award from the EPA in 2014.