Microsoft has signed three new long-term solar power agreements in Japan, expanding its push to run data centers and offices on clean energy, ESG Today reported.
The 20-year deals, announced by renewable developer Shizen Energy, cover 100 megawatts of capacity across four solar projects. One of the plants is already operating, while others in the Kyushu and Chugoku regions are being built.
The announcement builds on Microsoft's first Japanese solar agreement in 2023, a 25-megawatt project in Inuyama City. The partnerships mark a significant increase in clean electricity supporting the company's operations in the country.
Microsoft has said it aims for all of its electricity use to be matched by zero-carbon sources at all times by 2030, ESG Today noted.
Corporate investments like this help reduce the environmental footprint of the digital services people rely on daily, from cloud storage to workplace software. By cutting emissions from data centers — which have also been found to have detrimental effects on communities because of noise and carbon pollution — large companies can help improve air quality and reduce the energy sector's dependence on fossil fuels.
The new projects add to a growing list of large-scale corporate clean energy commitments, joining similar efforts from global retailers, automakers, and technology firms seeking to cut emissions and meet sustainability goals.
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Moves like this also help accelerate investment in renewable energy. The build out of renewables is projected to lower costs for households in the long run. Supporting such sustainability efforts — while also holding companies to account when they break promises — is one way individuals can support eco-friendly initiatives by mainstream brands.
"Following the Inuyama Project, we are honored to have signed long-term agreements with Microsoft for several new projects," said Rei Ushikubo, executive officer of Shizen Energy, per ESG Today.
"We believe that securing financing from domestic and international financial institutions for these projects is proof of the growing presence of Renewable Power Purchase Agreements in the Japanese market," Ushikubo continued. "We will continue to prioritize our power purchase agreement business to support our customers' decarbonization efforts."
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