The 96-month wind energy agreement, covering all 7-Eleven’s 425 stores, takes effect on 1st June 2018 and is expected to reduce the company’s carbon footprint by 6.7 percent while providing significant savings in operating expenses. The energy to power 7-Eleven stores will be provided by wind farms in Texas, currently numbering more 10,000 turbines across the state. Texas currently ranks first in the US for both installed and under-construction wind capacity, and is home to four of the top 10 largest wind farms in the country.
“This agreement is beneficial for 7‑Eleven on several fronts” said Ben Tison, 7‑Eleven senior vice president of Development. “Wind energy is a renewable, more cost-effective resource that will lower the carbon footprint of these stores as well as operating costs. Our customers, particularly Millennials and the younger Generation Z, care about sustainability and reducing environmental impacts, and they’re paying attention to what companies are doing.”
Gabe Castro, vice president of business for TXU Energy, added that the company’s goal was to make sure it was helping 7-Eleven reach its sustainability goals and that it was able to do that by helping them through the process to evaluate all the options available and then customising a complete solution to help the company reach those goals.
Last year, 7‑Eleven outlined steps to reach measurable corporate social responsibility (CSR) goals to reduce its environmental footprint. The retailer’s CSR mission has three focus areas – people, planet and products. Using 2015 as a baseline, 7‑Eleven set goals to reduce its carbon footprint and increase community engagement in the U.S. and Canada by concentrating on energy, packaging and philanthropy.
The “planet pillar” included reducing its energy footprint in stores and at its store support centre in Irving, Texas, by 20 percent by 2025. 7‑Eleven has already decreased electricity use in store operations by an estimated 21 percent over the past seven years through projects including installation of LED lighting, energy management systems and high-efficiency HVAC units.
TXU Energy will help 7‑Eleven save even more by providing energy efficiency rebate incentives through its TXU GreenBack programme. These incentives will allow 7‑Eleven to fund and pilot new energy efficient technologies that can be used throughout its portfolio of facilities.
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