When it comes to green energy use, T-Mobile has led the wireless industry since January 2018. That year, the Un-carrier became the first major U.S. telecom to sign the RE100 commitment to power its entire business with 100% renewable energy and challenged its competitors to make the same commitment to clean up wireless for good (news flash: they haven’t). In less than two years, the Un-carrier has made huge strides toward achieving its aggressive goal of using 100% renewable energy, including signing eight major energy contracts with solar and wind farms and other programs.
Today, just in time for Earth Day 2020, T-Mobile’s previously announced partnership with LaSalle County, IL-based Otter Creek Wind Farm, has fully achieved commercial operation. Operated by Avangrid Renewables, Otter Creek is expected to generate more than 504,100 MWh of clean energy annually, or enough to power approximately 60,000 homes for a year. This agreement is helping increase clean energy usage while also expanding investments in rural communities that need it most. Otter Creek joins T-Mobile’s existing wind farm partners, Red Dirt Wind Farm in Oklahoma and Solomon Forks Wind Farm in Kansas.
The Un-carrier's robust renewable-energy portfolio also includes contracts with four solar farms that are under construction, as well as investment in the Puget Sound Energy Green Direct program. PSEGD will draw green power from the largest solar project in Washington State, Lund Hill Solar in Klickitat County and the Skookumchuck Wind Energy Project to power all of T-Mobile's Pacific Northwest operations including its Bellevue headquarters, network towers and retail stores throughout the region. In total that's eight renewable energy contracts either online or under contract to open in 2020.
The Un-carrier’s commitment to protecting the environment has been recognized across the wireless industry and beyond. Its sustainability achievements earned top marks among U.S. wireless providers on Green America’s Wireless Scorecard two years in a row, easily outscoring its competitors. And T-Mobile remains the only major U.S. wireless provider to have its carbon-reduction goals approved by the Science Based Targets Initiative.
Now that its merger with Sprint is complete, T-Mobile will set an updated RE100 target date that accounts for the company’s newly expanded joint footprint. As a supercharged Un-carrier, the new T-Mobile is determined to not just be a bigger company, but a better company — and that includes its continued commitment to going even greener and doing what’s right to protect communities and the planet.
For more information about T-Mobile’s sustainability and environmental efforts, visit the T-Mobile Sustainability Page.