By Lindsey Nair
May 24, 2022
In a continuing commitment to environmental responsibility, Washington and Lee University this week completed a deal to purchase enough solar energy to match 100% of the university’s annual electricity consumption.
The long-term virtual power purchase agreement, which has been several years in the making, establishes a partnership between W&L and solar energy developer SunEnergy1, which will build, own and operate a 17-megawatt offsite solar farm in North Carolina. W&L will purchase 11 megawatts from the farm, which is equivalent to 100% of campus electricity use. The deal, which was facilitated in partnership with advisory firm CustomerFirst Renewables, allows the university to significantly lower its greenhouse gas emissions, reduce long-term energy cost uncertainty, and accelerate progress to meet its goal…