Rivian makes huge investment into renewables to power operations

Rivian has signed a power purchase agreement with Apex Clean Energy to supply their Normal, Illinois, manufacturing facility with wind power.

As the energy demands of electric vehicle manufacturing have become more evident, many manufacturers are investing in cleaner and cheaper energy sources to maintain their sustainability focus. Now, Rivian will invest an undisclosed amount of money into 50MW of wind energy that will supply the company’s operations in Normal, Illinois.

Via a press release from Rivian today, the company announced that it had secured 50MW of energy from an upcoming wind farm project built by Apex Energy, only a hundred miles from their Normal, Illinois manufacturing location. With the secured energy, Rivian will be able to power 75% of its operations on renewables while also aiding the company in powering its EV charging “Adventure Network.” The wind project, which is expected to produce energy in 2024, will supply a total of 300MW to the local grid.

“About a third of global greenhouse gas emissions come from transportation, with nearly another third from electricity generation. We have a tremendous opportunity at Rivian to help tackle emissions beyond the tailpipe to support decarbonization of manufacturing and charging of electric vehicles,” said Andrew Peterman, Rivian’s Director of Renewable Energy. “Long-term success for us means helping to accelerate the transition to carbon-free energy across the entire economy, not just within Rivian’s own footprint.”

Rivian is far from the only automaker investing in clean energy sources. Mercedes is also pursuing a large wind project in Germany that will power many of its manufacturing locations. Meanwhile, Tesla has famously worked to expand its solar use at all of its facilities.

Another sector many have pointed out that may benefit from cheaper renewable energy is battery manufacturing. Northvolt, a Scandinavian battery manufacturer, is perhaps the best example. But with countless battery manufacturing locations coming to the U.S. in the coming months and years, many wonder if these facilities will similarly focus on more sustainable energy generation.

With Rivian’s announcement today, the company remains true to its sustainable branding and mission statement. Hopefully, the company can continue to grow the use of its renewable as its manufacturing capacity continues to grow as well.