Meijer Adds Wind Energy to its Renewable Energy Portfolio

Meijer, Grand Rapids, MI, announced on Monday another contribution to add to its renewable energy portfolio.

The privately-owned and family-operated grocery retailer announced its involvement in a wind energy center. It has also signed a renewable product purchase agreement (RPPA) with a subsidiary of NextEra Energy Resources, LLC, that allows Meijer to purchase the majority of energy generated by the wind project.

The wind energy plan, named Lacy Creek Wind Energy Center, is under construction on 60,000 acres in Glasscock and Sterling counties, Texas,  and is expected to be completed in late 2022. The project will use 108 wind turbines to generate renewable energy, the company said.

"As a company, we believe it's more important now than ever to do our part to better the environment, which is where our ambitious sustainability goal originated,” Meijer President & CEO Rick Keyes said in a statement. “While the Lacy Creek Wind Energy Center is one of multiple sustainability initiatives Meijer has underway, we're pleased it has contributed to the accelerated progress in meeting our sustainability goal by 2025. The impact these environmental sustainability initiatives will make in the coming years go beyond improving daily operations at our Meijer stores; they align with our values and our continued focus on being a good steward of the environment."

NextEra Energy Resources is the world's largest generator of renewable energy from the wind and sun, and a world leader in battery storage, Meijer said in a statement. Matt Handel, SVP of Development for NextEra Energy Resources,  said the company is "pleased to work with Meijer in alignment with their ambitious sustainability goals.” Handel said the project will also create economic stimulus in Glasscock and Sterling counties in Texas.

In addition to recent partnerships, Meijer will continue to build on its longstanding commitment to the environment by integrating sustainability into daily operations, addressing carbon and waste reduction, recycling, offering local and sustainable products, and continuing responsible growth.

In January, Meijer revealed its goal to reduce absolute carbon emissions by 50% by 2025, and in March signed a renewable energy power purchase agreement with developer Duke Energy Sustainable Solutions for a utility-scale solar project.