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The operator is the first in the US to use entirely renewable energy, having achieved this milestone as the result of numerous green agreements
Today, T-Mobile has announced that its network now operates using entirely renewable energy.
The operator has reached the goal through a variety of different partnerships, including eight virtual power agreements, 19 retail agreements, one Green Direct program, and unbundled Renewable Energy Certificates that support projects across the country.
Nine of these agreements, including the virtual power agreements and the Green Direct program, focus on the direct generation of wind and solar power, which combined generate around 3.4 million MWh of clean energy annually.
T-Mobile also supports 37 community solar projects, which help to create greener energy grids in Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York and Oregon.
Beyond supporting green energy projects, T-Mobile has also been hard at work making their own operations more renewable, including upgrading systems in data centres to more energy efficient alternatives, installing smart thermostats in retail stores, and optimising air management to keep equipment cool at cell sites.
“T-Mobile is an example of leadership for sustainability in its industry,” said Louisa Plotnick, Head of Programs, North America, at Climate Group, which co-leads the RE100 in partnership with CDP. “By adopting and driving new development of sustainable power sources, T-Mobile shows that corporations can act quickly if ambition is supported by real change. We are thrilled to see T-Mobile achieve this milestone and look forward to our continued partnership as the US rapidly embraces the transition to a renewable future.”
The operator first committed to reaching this goal back in 2018. At the time, then-CEO John Legere said that the transition to renewable energy was “not just the right thing to do” but made excellent business sense, suggesting that energy costs would be reduced by around $100 million over the next 15 years.
“T-Mobile put a stake in the ground as the first telecom to commit to going all in on renewable energy by the end of 2021, and now we’re the first to hit this milestone years ahead of others,” said Mike Sievert, T-Mobile’s current CEO.
The company is quick to stress that they have achieved this milestone despite of their merger with Sprint back in 2020, which drastically increased the company’s overall energy consumption.
T-Mobile is planning further green projects for the future, including on-site solar infrastructure and investment in additional green projects. The company expects to announce new decarbonisation targets later in the year.
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