Microsoft has broadened its renewable energy commitment by announcing the purchase of 175 megawatts of wind energy from the Pilot Hill Wind Project in Illinois. This will be Microsoft’s largest wind project and one of the biggest corporate wind purchases from a single facility. There will be more than enough energy to power Microsoft’s Chicago datacenter!
“Microsoft will purchase 175 megawatts of wind energy from the Pilot Hill Wind Project in Illinois, about 60 miles south of Chicago, as part of a 20-year agreement announced Tuesday. It’s the second such deal in as many years and indicative of Microsoft’s growing commitment to renewable energy and sustainability,” the company stated in an official blog post. The total output of the project is equal to the electricity consumption of 70,000 homes in Illinois.
Microsoft is no stranger to the purchase of wind energy. Back in 2013, Microsoft purchases 110 megawatts of wind energy from the Keechi Wind Farm in Texas.
“Microsoft is focused on transforming the energy supply chain for cloud services from the power plant to the chip. Commitments like Pilot Hill ensure a cleaner grid to supply energy to our datacenters,” says Brian Janous, Microsoft’s director of energy strategy. “As the cost of renewable energy continues to decline, it is encouraging to see leading corporations investing in the sector based not only on their desire to positively impact the environment, but also because it simply makes good business sense.”
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