Wisconsin-based Organic Valley, the largest U.S. cooperative for organic farmers, launched a project to become the largest food company in the world to get all of its electricity from renewable sources. The co-op will be part of a “community solar partnership” that will install 12 megawatts of solar power in the state.
“The electricity created by this partnership will not only enable Organic Valley to cover 100 percent of its electric energy needs from renewable sources by 2019, but also increase overall solar energy use in Wisconsin by 15 percent,” said Organic Valley. The other partners in the project are Upper Midwest Energy Group and OneEnergy Renewables. The partnership will incorporate pollinator-friendly habitat into the design of the solar installations.
Organic Valley deals with 2,000 farms and has $1 billion in annual sales.