On October 31, ENGIE North America (ENGIE) announced signing a deal to supply 260 MW of renewable energy to Meta from its Sypert Branch solar project in Milam County Texas.

Dave Carroll, Chief Renewables Officer and SVP of ENGIE North America remarked on the announcement,

“We are delighted to announce this agreement to work with Meta by providing renewable power that supports their growth and aligns with their net zero commitments. We are proud that ENGIE’s proven track record in developing, building and operating renewable assets puts us at the forefront of the energy transition and this agreement with Meta recognizes the importance of that track record to our customers.”

Unlocking the Meta-ENGIE Solar Deal

The deal was facilitated through Meta’s Environmental Attributes Purchase Agreement (EAPA) with ENGIE to secure renewable energy from the Sypert Branch solar project in Milam County, Texas. The project is located 70 miles northeast of Austin and just 10 miles from Meta’s Temple data center.

Meta will purchase 100% of the output from the 260 MW facility through this deal. The solar power will help meet its growing energy demands and support its ambitious net-zero goals. Notably, this agreement expands Meta’s renewable energy portfolio to over 12 GW worldwide.

Urvi Parekh, Head of Clean Energy at Meta said,

“We are delighted to be collaborating with ENGIE to make the clean energy transition a reality through projects like Sypert Branch. Since 2020, we have maintained net zero emissions in our global operations – these efforts are supported by relationships such as those with ENGIE who can consistently deliver and operate projects like Sypert Branch to help meet our energy needs.”

Meta’s Path to Net Zero: Leading with Renewable Energy

Meta achieved net zero emissions across its global operations in 2020.

Remarkably, the social media giant slashed emissions by 94% from a 2017 baseline. They achieved this by backing their data centers and offices with 100% renewable energy. Since 2018, these renewable energy efforts have mitigated Meta’s greenhouse gas emissions by over 12.3 million metric tons of CO₂e.

Source: Meta

100% Renewable Energy

Meta’s commitment to renewable energy is evident as it has partnered with the top utilities in the U.S. to integrate renewable energy into their systems. The goal is to benefit the company and its customers.

The tech giant has a portfolio of over 10,000 megawatts (MW) of contracted renewable energy projects. This makes Meta one of the largest corporate buyers of renewable energy worldwide. 

Earlier CarbonCredits reported:

• In the U.S., Meta boasts the largest operating portfolio, with more than 5,500 MW of renewable energy capacity currently online. Meta’s renewable energy projects represent an estimated $14.2 billion in capital investment for new infrastructure. 

Meta’s sustainability report further explains that it carefully selects projects on local grids near its data centers to help communities transition to clean energy. For centers in states like Virginia, Oregon, and New Mexico, Meta partners with utilities to establish “green tariffs.” This helps achieve 100% renewable energy within each utility’s territory.

Sypert Branch Solar Project: Boosting Economic and Community Growth

ENGIE developed the Sypert Branch solar project and will also construct and operate it by the end of 2025. The press release also highlighted that this deal brings ENGIE closer to its goal of nearly 1 GW in signed corporate PPAs in the U.S. in 2024 alone.

As a leading global renewable energy provider, ENGIE is widely recognized for its success in selling corporate energy PPAs. Overall, this project will add to Engie’s impressive renewable portfolio of 8 GW across North America, including solar, wind, and battery storage.

Furthermore, the Sypert Branch project is expected to transform the Milam County economy. The construction process itself can imbibe more than 300 workers and generate $69 million in tax revenue throughout the project timeline. ENGIE also noted that a significant part of this revenue will go toward developing schools in the district to support the local community.