Pivot Energy announces partnership with Rivian Automotive

Pivot Energy announced a partnership with American EV maker Rivian on a total of 60 Megawatts, or MWdc, of solar energy. Rivian has committed to purchasing Renewable Energy Certificates, or RECs, generated from 50 MWdc of solar and will subscribe to 10 MWdc of community solar from Pivot Energy for its Illinois manufacturing facility. Impact REC agreements such as this one are designed to channel clean energy resources into regions poised for new solar development and contribute to local community initiatives. Rivian’s partnership enables additional solar projects to be strategically developed in locations with few solar resources. According to the EPA, the region of the electric grid where the solar projects will be located is 67% dirtier than the U.S. grid as a whole, meaning that the region emits two-thirds more greenhouse gases from fossil fuels than other areas. By supporting these new-build distributed solar projects through this REC purchase agreement and community solar subscription, Rivian will have an outsized impact on emissions reductions in this region. The new community solar projects are expected to generate an average of 79,000 megawatt-hours, or MWh, of clean electricity per year, equivalent to powering 10,892 households annually. The two companies will invest $5,000 per MW built in local community organizations. The donations tied to each MW constructed will go to support local community-based organizations working to reduce energy burden for low-income families, developing workforce development pathways into the solar industry for local residents and groups working at the intersection of agriculture and energy production.