The Transition to Clean Energy Is Uniting America

Corporations are joining with rural communities to accelerate the shift to renewable energy, creating a ripple effect that benefits us all.

When corporations invest in wind or solar energy, their actions create a ripple effect of positive change. Buying clean power allows companies to source cost-competitive electricity while advancing toward their sustainability targets—but the implications and benefits of such a move are evident far beyond the head office.

Nowhere is this ripple effect clearer than in Coke County, Texas, at Aviator Wind—the largest single-phase, single-site wind farm in the United States—from which Facebook and McDonald’s are purchasing clean energy.

In a region historically reliant on revenue from oil and gas, the wind facility will generate $142 million in tax revenue, $172 million in payments to landowners, 425 jobs during construction, and approximately 30 long-term operations positions. In 2020 alone, Aviator Wind will generate $1.6 million for Coke County—equal to 72% of the county’s total expenditures a year prior. Those dollars flow throughout the area, establishing a resilient community and preserving a way of life.

The ripples, of course, extend to us all by moving the needle in the fight against climate change.

These benefits would not be possible without the dedication of every one of Aviator Wind’s partners, from the Fortune 500 to the farming families hosting turbines on their land. Hear from a handful of the many individuals who helped make this project a reality.

Authors

Cat Strumlauf

Senior Director of Marketing and Communications

Cat leads Apex’s marketing and communications team, with a focus on corporate communications, content creation, and media and partner relations. Prior to joining the company, she worked in broadcast journalism as a reporter. Cat holds an MSJ from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism and a BA in marketing and entrepreneurship from the College of William and Mary’s Mason School of Business.