Snacking Goes Green With Enel, Mondelez International Solar PPA

The agreement is the Mondelēz International’s largest renewable energy partnership at global level and its first PPA signed in the U.S.

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Enel Green Power North America has signed a 12-year power purchase agreement with Mondelēz International under which the food and beverage company will purchase energy delivered to the electricity grid from a 64-megawatt portion of Enel’s Roadrunner solar photovoltaic project in Texas. Mondelēz International is the parent company of global and local brands such as Oreo, Cadbury Dairy Milk, Milka and Toblerone chocolate.

The energy supplied by the 65-megawatt portion that the company has acquired is enough to produce more than 50 percent of all the Oreos consumed in the U.S. annually, which is the equivalent to around 10 billion cookies and will reduce Mondelēz International’s annual carbon dioxide emissions by 80,000 metric tons. The agreement is the company’s largest renewable energy partnership at global level and its first PPA signed in the U.S.

The Roadrunner project is currently underway in Upton County, Texas, and will have a total capacity of 497 megawatts. It is the company’s second project to begin construction in Texas in 2019, following the 450-megawatt High Lonesome wind project in January.

The solar farm is the largest solar facility in Enel’s U.S. portfolio and will be able to generate approximately 1.2 terawatt-hours annually while avoiding the emission of more than 800,000 tons of carbon dioxide per year. The first phase of Roadrunner has a capacity of 252 megawatts and is slated to begin commercial operation by the end of the year. The second 245-megawatt phase is expected to be completed in 2020.