Committed to working on a sustainable path for a better world through its ongoing technology and innovation investments to reduce its environmental footprint, Grupo Bimbo has announced that it has signed a virtual power purchase agreement (VPPA) to receive 100 megawatts of wind energy from Invenergy, North America’s largest independent renewable energy company. The agreement will deliver emissions reductions as well as social and economic benefits related to Invenergy’s Santa Rita East wind farm in Texas.

This agreement comes as part of Grupo Bimbo’s larger initiative to become the first baking company in the U.S. to use 100 percent renewable energy for its operations by 2020. Beginning in the third quarter of 2019, wind energy production from the Santa Rita East wind farm will be matched with energy consumption from Grupo Bimbo’s U.S. operations through the VPPA agreement.

This will result in CO₂ emissions reductions of 260,000 tons annually. With this sustainable action, Grupo Bimbo will reach 75 percent renewable energy at a worldwide level, with overall CO₂ emissions reductions of 440,000 tons every year globally.

Bimbo Bakeries USA is also proud to announce that it has been named a 2018 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in recognition of its company-wide commitment to energy management strategy and leadership in the baking industry.

“We are excited to partner with Invenergy in order to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions across the U.S.,” said Daniel Servitje, chairman and chief executive officer of Grupo Bimbo. “We strive to be leaders in sustainability – it is part of our purpose of building a sustainable, highly productive, and deeply humane company – and decreasing our environmental footprint is one of our primary goals.”

Construction and operation of Invenergy’s Santa Rita East wind farm will deliver substantial social and economic benefits to Irion County, Texas. This includes up to 300 jobs during construction, and 12 to 15 permanent jobs once operational. Additionally, as part of Invenergy’s agreement with the County, the project will generate $4,000 every year for 8 years for the Mertzon’s Lions Club, Irion County Volunteer Fire Department and the Extension Education Club.

“This agreement is a great example of how companies across all industries can view renewable energy as beneficial for both the environment and business,” said Invenergy’s founder & CEO Michael Polsky. “Grupo Bimbo is one of the organizations leading the way for sustainability in the baking industry, and as Invenergy continues to lead the way to a clean energy future, we are proud to help expand their commitment to using renewable energy on a global level.”

Since 2015, Invenergy has partnered with 10 corporate customers to develop more than 1,100 megawatts of new renewable energy capacity. As a privately held, full-service energy solutions provider, Invenergy has the unique ability to be creative when it comes to solving complex energy challenges for corporate customers.

Grupo Bimbo focuses its efforts in four environmental action lines: carbon footprint reduction, water footprint reduction, waste management and natural capital.

For more information on Grupo Bimbo’s sustainability initiatives, visit https://grupobimbo.com/en/sustaintability.