AT&T said that it recently inked the “industry's largest renewable energy deals” and would provide details on the effort in the coming weeks.
Happy to share we’ve just signed a couple of the industry’s largest renewable energy deals. Details in the coming weeks. https://t.co/ewFVe2HySZ pic.twitter.com/I2RwuPxuhO
— AT&T (@ATT) February 1, 2018
That announcement came just days after T-Mobile said it signed an agreement for a second wind farm project and promised to use renewable electricity to meet 100% of its energy needs by 2021.
“We expect to cut T-Mobile’s energy costs by around $100 million in the next 15 years thanks to this move,” T-Mobile CEO and President John Legere said late last month in announcing the effort.
T-Mobile appears to be the first U.S. carrier to become a member of RE100, joining the likes of Nike, Google, Microsoft and Facebook, as well as Telefonica and VMware. RE100 works with businesses around the world to switch private sector electricity demand to renewables and accelerate the transition to a low-carbon economy. T-Mobile will report electricity data annually to RE100, which will report on the carrier’s progress.
On its website, AT&T offers an outline on its environmental stance: “Our technology can help communities and businesses conserve natural resources, but we know we have to look after our own impact, as well,” the carrier wrote, adding that it realized $101 million in annualized energy savings from 25,000 energy projects in 2016.
“We welcome this forthcoming clean energy announcement from AT&T, following T-Mobile’s groundbreaking commitment,” Todd Larsen, executive co-director of consumer and corporate engagement at Green America, said in a release. The nonprofit organization says it works to “create a socially just and environmentally sustainable society.”
Continued Larsen: “In an industry where there has been a lack of leadership on this issue, T-Mobile set the bar high, which is exactly where it should be to reduce telecom’s massive influence on the climate through energy usage. We are pleased that AT&T is listening to the thousands of consumers who have encouraged the company to pursue clean energy and to join the other 123 RE100 companies who have made the '100 percent renewable' pledge.”