Three companies, The Home Depot, The Hershey Company, and National Grid Renewables have signed a solar Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) for the new Noble Solar project in Texas. As part of this year’s Earth Day celebration, the companies came together to support the project that is already under construction in Denton County, Texas. Noble consists of 275 MW of solar and 125-megawatt hours MW of battery storage. The Home Depot and NRG have each executed individual 100 MW solar PPAs, and The Hershey Company has contracted for a 50 MW solar PPA. Using the United States’ Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) greenhouse gas equivalencies calculator, Noble is estimated to offset carbon dioxide emissions by 450,000 metric tons annually during the first 20 years of operation and will support the clean energy goals of The Home Depot, NRG, and The Hershey Company.

Noble is anticipated to begin operation in the first half of 2022 and will positively impact the local economy throughout construction and operation. During construction, Noble is anticipated to employ approximately 250 workers and will boost spending at local businesses. Throughout the first 20 years of operation, Noble is projected to benefit the community through the creation of approximately US$26 million in new tax revenue, 3-5 on-site operations and maintenance jobs, and over US$1 million in donations funded by Noble through a local charitable initiative.

“Our partnership with National Grid Renewables reinforces our commitment to reducing our impact by continually improving the efficiency of our operations and expanding investments in renewable and alternative energy,” says Ron Jarvis, Chief Sustainability Officer at The Home Depot. “We are on track to meet or exceed our goal to procure or produce 335 megawatts of renewable or alternative energy by 2025.”

“The call to decarbonize our economy continues to grow,” said Robert Gaudette, Senior Vice President of NRG Energy, Inc. “We look forward to taking another step toward a more sustainable energy future. Through renewable energy and the support of local communities, we are able to provide our customers with more energy solutions.”