本月初，弗吉尼亚州州长特里·麦考利夫（Terry McAuliffe）announced该州将购买来自Dominion Virginia Power将建造的新20兆瓦（MW）太阳能项目产生的电力的100％。拟议的国家和公用事业之间的项目将产生足够的清洁能源，以便为5,000座美国房屋提供动力，从而朝着该公用事业公司在2020年建造400兆瓦可再生能源项目的目标方面取得了进展。

But the deal wouldn’t have happened without one crucial third party—Microsoft.

An Innovative Public-Private Partnership

微软承诺购买该项目的renewable energy certificatesthrough a long-term, 25-year agreement; the state will buy the electricity generated over the same term (though only Microsoft will get credit for using the solar power, followingindustry best practices为了避免能源消费者的双重计数）。这项投资通过降低英联邦的能源总成本，使纳税人在协议终身寿命期间折扣100万美元，从而使该项目可行。

Microsoft highlighted the projectas an opportunity to bring the “long-term certainty needed to expand the amount of renewable energy available on the grid.”

“We are excited that through this project we have created a viable new public-private partnership model for the company and look forward to expanding on this new approach,” said Rob Bernard, chief environmental and cities strategist.

双赢解决方案

It’s not just Virginia who benefits from the deal—it’s a win for all involved.

像微软这样的企业能源购买者正在设定越来越有雄心勃勃的可持续性目标，这需要访问新的，网格连接的可再生能源。微软致力于成为一家碳中立公司，长期以来一直在全国范围内投资大型可再生能源项目。使这笔交易与众不同的原因是，公司的首先是他们能够直接与当地公用事业合作。通过与Dominion Virginia Power和Virginia的英联邦合作，微软可以将新的可再生能源直接带到服务于其弗吉尼亚数据中心的电网。Dominion Virginia Power从本协议中受益，因为它为其他纳税人免费提供了更具成本效益的途径。Dominion已提议去年建立此设施，并由平均纳税人支付，但州监管机构拒绝了它的成本太高。监管机构的担忧应与Microsoft的参与以及一位值得信誉的客户以及购买权力的国家的参与来解决。

“这种前瞻性的合作伙伴关系将帮助我们继续承诺，以增加为弗吉尼亚州客户提供服务的可再生能源。”英联邦在使这个大规模的太阳能项目成为可能，我们期待与他们合作。”

Bringing Innovative Solutions to the Table

The public-private partnership between Microsoft, the Commonwealth and Dominion Virginia Power embodies the type of innovative solution that can speed the transition to a clean energy future. To create these win-win deals, utilities and their large, corporate customers must collaborate to develop new ways to purchase renewable energy through the grid. The development of this deal was supported, in part, by a series of problem-solving workshops called theUtility Leadership Forumsthat WRI facilitates, with support from the World Wildlife Fund.

These discussions between utility executives and some of their largest energy customers explore innovative arrangements to deliver the renewable energy big companies are looking for while providing value to the grid, under structures that regulators can approve. Microsoft, among other large energy customers, participated in a Utility Leadership Forum with Dominion Virginia Power, where they discussed the idea for the structure of the solar project. Microsoft and Dominion went on to turn the idea into reality.

As large energy buyers continue to set more ambitious sustainability goals, scalable and replicable grid-connected renewable energy products provide a real opportunity for utilities to meet the evolving needs of their customers. More than 50 large energy customers have joined theRenewable Energy Buyers’ Principles, making clear their willingness to collaborate with utilities to bring more renewable energy to the grid. WRI is working with a number of these proactive traditional utilities across the United States, and 2016 promises to be a year that brings many more partnerships and solutions to the table.

  • 编者注，16年3月31日：此博客文章的先前版本指出，到2020年，弗吉尼亚州的目标是建立400兆瓦的可再生能源项目。实际上，这实际上是Dominion Virginia Power的目标。此后，我们纠正了错误。