Anthem signs 15-year power purchase agreement with SunEnergy solar field in Virginia
Health benefits company Anthem has signed a 15-year power purchase agreement with solar developer SunEnergy for the output from a new 20-megawatt solar field in Hanover County, Virginia.
The Hanover County solar field is expected to be fully operational later this year. Anthem also has a similar agreement with a solar field in North Carolina due to come online in early 2021. The two solar fields combined will generate more than 225,000-megawatt hours of electricity per year. The expects the solar field developments to generate enough renewable electricity to power all Anthem offices and data centers across the country.
“As we enter Climate Week, we’re celebrating an important step forward in achieving our renewable energy goal and are proud that Virginia is playing a large role as we increasingly focus on improving the sustainability of our operations and our business,” Jeff Ricketts, president, Anthem Blue and Blue Shield in Virginia, said. “By addressing environmental health, we can improve lives and the health of communities in our state and across the country and set the example for others to follow.”
Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam visited the Anthem solar development and spoke to his administration’s work to promote a healthier environment and address climate change.
“Clean energy will power the future, and Virginia is leading the way,” Northam said. “Since I took office, our administration has worked constantly to create new clean energy opportunities and to make sure that Virginia is at the forefront of clean energy innovation. Virginia will power the grid with 100 percent clean energy in the years to come, thanks to this transformative new law and a comprehensive energy plan. It’s good to see employers like Anthem choose renewable energy, and we congratulate them on being part of the solution.”
