Boston-based non-profit company, Partners HealthCare, has entered into a contract with Antrim Wind Energy for a 28.8-MW wind project in Antrim, New Hampshire. The contract represents the largest direct-delivery renewables’ purchase by an end user in the Northeast, and is part of Partners’ plan to become “net carbon positive” by 2025.
The 28.8-MW New Hampshire wind farm is expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 110 million pounds of CO2 per year – the equivalent of taking more than 10,000 cars permanently off the road.
That means 100% of Partners’ energy will come from renewable sources, and the non-profit will support the generation of more renewable energy than it needs — making the surplus available to the markets and communities in which it operates.
“Partners HealthCare is committed to fighting climate change and our agreement with Antrim is an important part of that commitment,” said John Messervy, Corporate Director of Design and Construction, Partners HealthCare.
“It will reduce CO2 emissions and create demand for renewable energy while reducing our long-term energy costs,” he added.
To reach that goal, Partners has adopted a three-part approach that includes a strategic energy master plan to reduce energy consumption by 30% (Partners has already achieved a 16% reduction since 2010). The deployment of onsite generation will further increase resiliency of the company’s operations, while saving utility costs.
Additionally, a strategic procurement program (of which the Antrim agreement is the latest example) is in place to source Partners’ energy needs from clean-energy resources.
“We are very pleased that our project will help Partners reach their industry-leading carbon goals,” said Henry Weitzner, Founding Partner of Walden Green Energy, which owns the wind farm. “Entering into this contract required an innovative approach to market, credit, and regulatory issues.”
Partners will purchase 75% of the facility’s capacity. Construction is expected to be completed in 2019.
“With Partners’ support, this project will generate significant renewable energy, conserve over 900 acres of valuable land, generate 80 full-time-equivalent jobs during the construction period, and create $54m of economic benefit to the region,” said Weitzner.
Filed Under: News, Projects, Uncategorized
