A major renewable energy power purchase from supermarket giant Woolworths Group, that will see around thirty percent of the company’s New South Wales energy needs sourced from a wind farm near Yass, has been welcomed by Greenpeace Australia Pacific.Woolworths, Australia’s biggest supermarket chain and one of the country’s top electricity users, has announced that it will source a whopping 195,000 MwH of energy yearly from the Bango Wind Farm, which is under construction near Yass in the Riverina area of New South Wales.
This power purchase will supply thirty percent of Woolworths’ New South Wales electricity needs, equivalent to powering 108 stores, or 34,000 households.
REenergise Campaign Director Lindsay Soutar from Greenpeace Australia Pacific said that Woolworths’ announcement backs the company’s commitment to switch to 100% renewable electricity by 2025 with concrete action.
“Woolworths committed last year to make the switch to 100% renewable electricity by 2025 – and we’re big fans of the company’s announcement today of a substantial wind power purchase from the Bango Wind Farm,” she said.
“In committing to source its renewable energy from new-build wind and solar power, like the Bango wind farm, Woolworths isn’t just speeding its own transition to one hundred percent renewable electricity – the company is also helping to bring significant amounts of new clean, reliable renewable energy into the system.”
“In addition, Woolworths’ renewable energy purchase partnership supports over 100 jobs in the wind farm’s construction and operation for the Yass region. Renewable energy is already getting the job done, and big supermarkets like Woolworths making big wind power purchases shows that renewables can power even the largest and most complex businesses.”
Woolworths, along with major supermarket rival Coles, has committed to 100% renewable electricity by 2025, and ALDI has committed to be 100% renewable as early as 2021, meaning that all of the country’s top supermarkets will be wind and solar-powered within the next five years.
For more information please contact Fiona Ivits on 0487 003 872 or [email protected]
About REenergise:
REenergise is a campaign by Greenpeace Australia Pacific calling on some of Australia’s biggest electricity using companies to make the switch to 100% renewable electricity, because it’s better for the environment, and it’s better for the bottom line.
See which companies are leading the renewables race: reenergise.org/rankings/