Commercial solar contractor Summit Ridge Energy is partnering with Digital Realty to provide 5.1 megawatts of solar energy annually to the data center company. Through this acquisition, Digital Realty, which provides cloud and operator neutral data center solutions, will advance its sustainable development goals.

The agreement covers energy cost savings and the purchase of renewable energy credits generated from three commercial solar projects owned and operated by Summit Ridge in Illinois. These projects are expected to be electrified and interconnected with Commonwealth Edison by the end of 2025 to early 2026.

This collaboration will enable Digital Realty's data center located in northern Illinois to offset some of its energy consumption. In addition, the newly constructed solar projects will help enhance the resilience of Illinois' power grid and support economic development by creating hundreds of construction and manufacturing jobs.

Aaron Binkley, Vice President of Sustainability at Digital Realty, stated, "At Digital Realty, we are committed to advancing sustainable energy solutions that align with our global carbon reduction goals. Collaborating with Summit Ridge Energy will help us integrate more renewable energy into our operations and also contribute to building a more resilient power grid in Illinois. ”

These projects are part of Summit Ridge's larger plan to enhance grid stability and further strengthen the local power system through measures such as voltage support and frequency regulation. The three distributed solar power plants powering Digital Realty are part of Summit Ridge's 439 MW solar power plant in Illinois.

Marc Fioravanti, Senior Vice President of Business Development at Summit Ridge, stated, "Digital Realty's commitment to sourcing solar energy highlights the growing importance of utilizing alternative energy solutions in industries that rely on reliable electricity. Through this agreement, we will build a diversified and stronger power grid while bringing tangible benefits to businesses. This collaboration demonstrates that solar energy plays an important role in the rapidly growing energy demand of technology companies, including those driven by the growth of artificial intelligence and data processing