Leading businesses collaborate with New York-based Common Energy to advance United States community solar.

Common Energy, a leading community solar provider, today announced collaborations with Microsoft, LinkedIn, Corning, Akamai Technologies, and VMware to bring a new sustainability benefit to each companies’ employees.

Through Common Energy’s Clean Energy Benefit Program, the companies’ employees can enroll to support new, local, community solar projects. The community solar projects generate clean energy that flows to the electrical grid, replacing fossil fuel and lowering emissions in the community. Each employee who enrolls in the program also receives clean energy credits that lower their electricity cost each month. There is no cost to the employer or the employee.

To date, partner employees across four states have enrolled in Common Energy’s program, supporting 50 MW of new clean energy capacity. Together, these projects will generate approximately 66 million kilowatt hours of clean energy and prevent approximately 32 million pounds of carbon emissions each year. Over the lifetime of the projects, the projects are expected to generate over 1 billion kilowatt hours of clean energy and prevent over 600 million pounds of carbon emissions.

The projects being supported through these programs are located across the country, serving both major cities and rural areas including: Carver, MA (2.8 MW, serving Greater Boston); Lostant, IL (2.9 MW, serving Greater Chicago); and Mecklenburg, NY (2.3 MW, serving New York’s Southern Tier).

Today’s announcement is the culmination of over three years of work beginning with Common Energy’s first corporate partnership with Corning in 2018. This initiative is believed to be the first large-scale program to directly involve employees in community solar. Unlike other companies, Common Energy only works on projects that bring new, clean energy to the grid, providing true additionality and real environmental impact.

“We’re proud to participate in this program offering our employees a way to reduce their carbon footprint and contribute to a greener future for all,” said Bennett Leff, Director of Sustainability, Corning Incorporated. “Our 170 years of invention and innovation have shown us that what we do today will ultimately determine how our world looks tomorrow.”

“This partnership with Common Energy is another significant step in advancing our global sustainability commitment, in alignment with Microsoft," says Peggy Brannigan, Director of Global Environmental Sustainability at LinkedIn. “LinkedIn’s vision of creating economic opportunity for every member of the global workforce includes helping to accelerate a clean energy economy and supporting green jobs. We believe these community solar projects do just that, and we’re excited to see the impact that this initiative will have on our workforce and the communities we serve.”

“Akamai invites our employees to join in lessening carbon emissions,” said Mike Mattera, Director, Corporate Sustainability, Akamai Technologies. “Common Energy offers a direct way for them to do so, and is easily replicable to all our U.S. offices.”

“At VMware, we have a long-standing commitment to sustainability,” said Natasha Tuck, Director, Sustainability and ESG at VMware. “Providing Common Energy’s Clean Energy Benefit Program to our employees in Boston is an impactful way for our people to participate in climate action. We hope to extend the program to more employees so we can continue to increase the adoption of renewable energy.”

“We are thrilled and honored to work with Microsoft, LinkedIn, Corning, Akamai and VMware on these important programs,” said Richard Keiser, CEO of Common Energy. “We hope that these partnerships will encourage more organizations to proactively engage their employees and members in sustainability in general and local community solar projects.”

“We are pleased to support these new solar projects with Common Energy,” said Adam Hecktman, Director, Microsoft Philanthropies. “Community solar is a great way to enable residents and our employees to live out their values and commitments to clean energy.”

Common Energy’s corporate programs are an extension of its core mission to accelerate the United States’ clean energy transition and enable the public to save money and lower emissions. Common Energy currently serves households in Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Oregon. Residents of these states can enroll for free at www.commonenergy.us. Corporations interested in partnering with Common Energy can email partners@commonenergy.us.

About Common Energy

Common Energy is a leading community solar provider that services over 200MW of projects across the country. Common Energy’s programs enable homeowners, renters, and businesses to support clean energy, lower emission in their communities and save money on their electricity for free, with their existing utility account. To join a community solar project, enroll at www.commonenergy.us. Companies interested in implementing employee programs are encouraged to email partners@commonenergy.us.

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