McDonald’s and eBay Team up with Lightsource bp to Power US Operations with Solar

BATON ROUGE, La .– (BUSINESS WIRE) – McDonald’s Corporation and eBay Inc. today announced agreements with Lightsource bp to purchase power from Louisiana’s largest solar project, located 30 miles northwest of Baton Rouge in Pointe Coupee Parish. The 345 megawatt Ventress Solar project will help McDonald’s and eBay achieve their sustainability goals and advance their commitment to climate protection, while at the same time Lightsource bp’s growing solar presence grows in the southeast. When completed, the project will generate over 600,000 megawatt hours (MWh) of clean electricity annually, which is the average annual consumption of 59,000 US households.

“As one of the largest restaurant companies in the world, McDonald’s is uniquely positioned to drive significant action against climate change,” said Emma Cox, Global Renewable Energy Lead at McDonald’s project, serving as the latest milestone on the road to our science-based emissions reduction target for 2030 but also our conviction that meaningful solutions for building a sustainable future require partnership and cooperation. ”

“At eBay, investing in clean energy remains a focus of our business as we aim to achieve 100 percent renewable energy by 2025,” said Renee Morin, eBay’s chief sustainability officer. “This project enables us to source the clean energy equivalent of our data center. Our collaboration with Lightsource bp and McDonald’s drives our common goal of accelerating the transition to a clean energy economy in a unique way. ”

Construction of the Ventress solar park is scheduled to start at the end of this year, and commercial operation is scheduled to begin in mid-2023. Lightsource bp is developing the project and will be the owner and operator in the long term.

“This agreement is a great example of the teamwork required to achieve our shared goals for a healthier, more sustainable, resilient planet and a healthier economy for generations to come,” said Kevin Smith, CEO of the Americas at Lightsource bp. “Customer bundling deals like this enable companies of all sizes and with different energy needs to come together and promote the meaningful development of clean and affordable energy sources in the United States. This McDonald’s and eBay cooperation agreement is a model that we hope others will adopt. ”

Local economic benefits beyond reducing greenhouse gas emissions

In addition to improving the health and energy security of communities across America, large-scale solar projects help strengthen the local economy. The construction of the over 300 million US dollar privately financed solar park will:

• Creation of approx. 400 construction jobs for 15-18 months, mainly consisting of local workers

• Give Pointe Coupee Parish an estimated $ 30 million grace period – providing additional funding for schools, fire departments, libraries, and health services – with no tax hike for citizens

• Achieving indirect economic impacts of over $ 200 million, according to a study by the Baton Rouge Area Chamber, a business development agency that supports the nine municipalities of Baton Rouge Area

“This project is exciting news for our community,” said Major Thibaut, mayor of Pointe Coupee. “It brings the largest economic development project to the region in thirty years with minimal impact on our infrastructure. Participating in the PILOT program translates into approximately $ 30 million in revenue for local government, law enforcement, and the school system without increasing taxes for our residents. ”

Dual-use solar – maximum benefits for the environment and the local community

With proper planning and land management, solar parks can increase biodiversity and improve local ecosystems. A long-term environmental action plan is underway for Ventress Solar, aiming to maximize local sustainability benefits through habitat creation and shared farming to manage the land while using solar energy.

CustomerFirst Renewables and 3Degrees, representing McDonald’s and eBay respectively, jointly advised the buyers’ association during the transaction, and Ballard Spahr negotiated on behalf of the buyers.

About light source bp

Lightsource bp is a global leader in the development and management of solar energy projects and a 50:50 joint venture with bp. Our goal is to provide affordable and sustainable solar power to businesses and communities around the world. Our team includes over 500 industry specialists who work in 15 countries. We provide comprehensive development for our projects, from initial site selection, financing and approval to long-term management of solar projects and the sale of electricity to our customers. Lightsource bp in the US is headquartered in San Francisco and has development offices in Denver, Philadelphia, Atlanta and Austin. As of late 2017, the team has developed a pipeline of more than 8 gigawatts of large solar projects in various stages of development in the United States with over 2.7 gigawatts of contractually agreed assets with a potential investment of more than $ 2.2 billion. For more information, please visit lightsourcebp.com.

About McDonald’s

McDonald’s is the world’s leading global food service retailer with over 39,000 locations in over 100 countries. Approximately 93% of McDonald’s restaurants worldwide are owned and operated by independent local business owners. For more information, please visit www.mcdonalds.com or follow us on Twitter @McDonalds and Facebook. www.facebook.com/mcdonalds.

From ebay

eBay Inc. (Nasdaq: EBAY) is a leading global retail company, connecting millions of buyers and sellers in 190 markets worldwide. We exist to enable economic opportunity for individuals, entrepreneurs, businesses and organizations of all sizes. Founded in 1995 in San Jose, California, eBay is one of the largest and liveliest marketplaces in the world to discover great value and unique selections. In 2020, eBay enabled $ 100 billion in gross merchandise. For more information about the company and its global portfolio of online brands, please visit www.ebayinc.com.