Organic Valley is embarking on an aggressive path to become carbon neutral.

Organic Valley is collaborating with the Upper Midwest Municipal Energy Group (UMMEG) and OneEnergy Renewables to create the new community solar partnership. Together, the partners will initiate over 12 megawatts (MW) of solar installations in Wisconsin. The electricity created by this partnership will not only enable Organic Valley to cover 100% of its electric energy needs from renewable sources by 2019, but also increase overall solar energy use in Wisconsin by 15%. Beyond the 12 MW project portfolio, an additional 17-plus MW is expected to be constructed as well, resulting in nearly 30 MW of new solar in the region. Critical to this partnership, Organic Valley will purchase renewable energy credits from the solar projects near their headquarters and distribution center enabling the cooperative to be fully renewable-powered. 

“Our future demands bold new thinking about our sources of energy, and there is nothing more natural to a farmer than harnessing the power of the sun and the wind,” said George Siemon, CEO and a founding farmer of Organic Valley. “So our cooperative is committed to achieving 100% renewable power, and doing it in partnership with the rural communities where we live and work.” 

Additionally, the community solar partnership will incorporate pollinator-friendly habitat into the design. Once complete, these meadows, filled with native flowering plants and grasses, will create as much bee and butterfly habitat as if 30,000 families were to each plant six-by-twelve-foot pollinator gardens.

UMMEG is a municipal joint action agency that provides a range of services to its 15 municipal members in Wisconsin, Iowa and Minnesota, including the purchase of cost-competitive energy and transmission service through long term contracts. Previous contracts have included the Rugby Wind Project in North Dakota and the Cashton Greens Wind Project in Wisconsin, pioneering projects in the regions they serve.

OneEnergy Renewables is a leading developer of community and utility-scale solar energy projects across the United States. OneEnergy recently developed Maryland’s first certified pollinator-friendly solar site, with energy supplying the Verizon Center and National Geographic Society in Washington, DC. OneEnergy’s solar projects provide energy to institutions such as Johns Hopkins Medicine, General Electric, and Ithaca College, as well as utilities such as Washington Gas & Electric, PacifiCorp and Portland General Electric. 

“Organic Valley was built on an environmental ethic, promoting ecological and economic sustainability,” said Jonathan Reinbold, head of sustainability, Organic Valley. “As leaders in food and farming, it is our responsibility to pioneer change for good. Our hope is that this partnership to install community-scale solar will be replicated by municipal utilities around the country and propel more rural communities toward economic stability and energy independence.” 

Source: Organic Valley