Pivot, Microsoft to develop 500 MW of community solar across U.S.
Leading national renewable energy provider Pivot Energy has come to terms on a five-year framework agreement with Microsoft to develop up to 500 MWac of community-scale solar energy projects across the United States between 2025 and 2029. This collaboration supports both companies’ commitment to maximize the environmental and social benefits of the renewable energy transition at the local level.
The agreement will enable Pivot to develop approximately 150 U.S. solar projects in roughly 100 communities across 20 states, including Colorado, Maryland, Illinois, Delaware, Pennsylvania and Ohio. Microsoft will purchase the project Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) for a 20-year term. The first projects are expected to come online before the end of 2024.
The agreement represents Pivot’s largest REC agreement and most significant community impact collaboration. This also marks Microsoft’s first major distributed generation portfolio and, by matching customer electricity usage with new renewable electricity generation, supports the company’s goal of reducing its Scope 3 emissions by more than half by 2030.
“An economy fueled by clean, distributed energy can do more than provide power at low cost; it drives growth and success in communities across the nation. This collaboration between Pivot Energy and Microsoft exemplifies the power and impact that distributed generation can have,” said Tom Hunt, CEO of Pivot Energy. “Pivot Energy is proud of our industry-leading role in developing solar projects that benefit local communities. We are honored to collaborate with Microsoft to provide purpose-driven solar energy”
This collaboration takes Pivot’s community impact commitment to a new level, with each solar project including significant community benefits. The agreement outlines four overarching community-centric initiatives that Pivot will prioritize:
- Increasing the diversity of its subcontractors.
- Partnering with workforce development organizations and subcontractors to train and hire local diverse talent.
- Partnering with Sustain Our Future Foundation to invest in equitable community initiatives.
- Increasing the energy bill savings of the community solar projects directed to low-income subscribers.
“We believe the clean energy transition can and should benefit communities across the United States that have been historically excluded from economic opportunity,” said Adrian Anderson, GM, renewables, carbon free energy, CDR, Microsoft. “Through our work with Pivot Energy and with its commitments to driving community impact, this collaboration helps to build more inclusive, local economic growth across 100 communities while addressing the sustainability needs and opportunities within those communities.”
Over 20 years, the 500 MWac will produce more than 1,000 GWh of electricity annually, which is enough energy to power approximately 90,000 homes a year.
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