Exxon entered a 12-year agreement with Denmark’s Orsted A/S to buy 500 megawatts of wind and solar power in the Permian Basin, in-line with the company’s strategy to use renewable energy to produce oil in West Texas.
Although the terms of the contract are yet to be disclosed, according to Bloomberg NEF it is the largest ever renewable power contract signed by an oil company in the fastest growing U.S. oil field.
As per the company’s investor presentation, 50% of the power that Exxon will buy would come from the Sage Draw wind farm, which Orsted plans to get operational in 2020. The other 50% would come from the Permian Solar farm, scheduled to be operational in 2021.
Exxon, which has for some time now been criticized for downplaying the risks of climate change, has finally turned to clean energy as it also becomes cheaper. The company has been looking for renewable energy under long-term contracts since August, since the production boom in the region has grown so fast that infrastructure including pipelines and power plants have struggled to keep pace.