Nike goes 100% renewable across North America

Sportswear giant Nike is now more than half way towards its pledge to source 100% renewable energy globally, after signing a power purchase agreement with a Texan windfarm that will make the company's entire North American operations completely powered by renewables.


Nike announced last Thursday (18 January) that it had signed its second major wind contract with Avangrid renewables to source 86MW from the Karankawa Wind Farm near Corpus Christi in Texas. Scheduled for completion by summer 2019, the 286MW capacity wind farm will produce enough energy annually to power more than 75,000 average US households.

“This agreement enables us to source 100% renewable energy across our owned or operated facilities in North America,” Nike’s chief sustainability officer and vice president of the company’s Innovation Accelerator, Hannah Jones said. “Investing in renewable energy is good for athletes, the planet and for business.”

Half way there

The power purchase agreement means that Nike is now more than half way to its commitment of sourcing 100% renewable energy across owned and operated facilities worldwide. The commitment, agreed as part of Nike’s involvement with the RE100 initiative, has a 2025 deadline.

Nike has previous power purchase agreements with Avangrid Renewables’, sourcing from three Columbia Gorge-based wind farms. The agreements deliver 100% renewable energy to Nike’s worldwide headquarters near Beaverton as well as the majority of the company’s Oregon-based facilities.

“Working with partners like Nike who have relentless focus on driving the development and availability of renewable energy is exciting and inspiring,” Avamgrid Renewables’ vice president of origination Barrett Stambler said.

“This partnership allows us to have a very positive impact in the local communities where we own and operate these wind farms, creating jobs & economic development for rural America and advancing our country’s energy independence.”

Alongside the RE100, Nike has joined numerous global initiatives. Nike joined the Ellen MacArthur Foundation as a global partner, as well as pledging to the “We Are Still In” declaration to act on climate change, following US President Donald Trump’s revelation that the country would withdraw from the Paris Agreement.

Last year, Nike joint other major apparel companies in committing to set emission reduction targets through the Science Based Targets initiative.

Matt Mace

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