BT Signs Green Energy Agreement

BT has demonstrated its green credentials by signing long-term Power Purchase Agreements [PPAs] worth some £440 million with three different wind farms across the length and breadth of the country.

The deal, which is for a collective 100 megawatts [MW] of renewable energy, will help to power its UK operations and three wind farms in Scotland, Wales and Lancashire are supplying the energy.

“These large-scale, long term agreements are a vote of confidence in UK renewable energy and support BT’s continued commitment to securing all its electricity from renewable sources,” said Rob Williams, head of energy supply at BT. “At BT we’re as focused on cutting our own carbon emissions as we are to providing products and services that help everyone live within the planet’s resources. We’ve reduced carbon emissions from our own operations by 25.5 per cent globally during 2013/14.”

When it comes down to the particulars, BT will buy 50 per cent of the output produced by the Fallago Rig wind farm located 35km southeast of Edinburgh – enough to match the power consumption of its entire Scottish operations and worth £300 million over the next 20 years.

Over in Wales it has signed a 15-year deal with Mynydd Bwllfa that is worth £100 million over the course of the contract and provides enough energy for 50 per cent of BT’s demand in Wales.

Lastly it has also secured a 15-year deal to buy electricity generated by Heysham South Wind Farm in Lancashire that is worth some £40 million.

BT’s PPAs are supporting the construction of the latter two sites and the firm has been using renewable energy supplied by npower since 2000 and is working towards 100 per cent of its energy being supplied from the UK.