Convenience chain Sheetz makes big investment in renewable energy
The 15-year agreement is a big win for the development and expansion of solar energy in Pennsylvania
While Sheetz will continue selling gasoline outside — inside, its Berks County convenience stores will soon be powered in part by renewable energy.
In February, the Altoonabased chain reached a longterm deal with Constellation Energy Corp. that will power the equivalent of nearly 70% of its Pennsylvania stores through investments in solar energy projects by January 2024.
That includes all 10 Sheetz locations in Berks, according to Nick Ruffner, the company’s public relations manager, as well as others in the surrounding region.
The length of Sheetz’s commitment is 15 years, confirmed a spokesperson for Constellation.
“Sheetz is dedicated to being a responsible steward of our environment,” Travis
Sheetz, president and CEO of Sheetz, said in a statement.
“Through this purchase agreement and partnership with Constellation, Sheetz will be able to power more than 160 stores and approximately 40 other facilities with renewable energy, significantly reducing our environmental impact in Pennsylvania.”
The agreement will not require any on-site installations at participating stores.
How it works
What Sheetz is doing is actually quite a bit different from directly sourcing energy from equipment such as solar panels on premises, explained Dave Snyder, communications manager for Constellation.
Rather, through Constellation’s Offsite Renewables program, or CORe, the chain is essentially investing in the development of a solar farm which otherwise might not
get built without the support of a large entity.
“Constellation plays the role of facilitator for these types of transactions,” Snyder said. “We connect customers looking to source renewable energy with renewable energy developers in search of off-takers for their projects.
“We enter into the PPA, the power purchase agreement, with the developer … so, in essence, Sheetz is able to gain access to renewable supply through the simplicity of a retail power contract with Constellation.”
Not only is Sheetz benefitting
from reducing its own carbon footprint — it’s helping to create the infrastructure of the future as well.
“While solar power isn’t directly powering Sheetz’s locations, the company’s long term commitment will introduce significant renewable supply to the local grid, which improves resiliency, and makes a tangible positive impact on the environment,” Snyder said.
While CORe doesn’t currently offer such a program to residential customers at this time due to scale, it is something local governments are able to participate in.
Pennsylvania reached an agreement with Constellation in 2021 to source 50% of its annual consumption through CORe.
According to the energy company’s website, the program can be advantageous to on-premise installations because many renewable energy options are “difficult to implement, carry unwanted risks, and don’t make a strong enough sustainability statement.”
Why it’s good
Sheetz will receive approximately 110 million kilowatt hours of energy per year from the purchase agreements, allowing the company to avoid nearly 78,000 metric tons of carbon emissions associated with its energy use annually.
That’s the equivalent of taking nearly 17,000 cars off the road, based on U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates, according to a news release.
“Businesses across the country are taking steps to be more sustainable, reduce their carbon footprint and mitigate their impact on climate change,” Snyder said. “Sheetz’s agreement with Constellation ladders up to that trend.”
For Sheetz, it’s also an opportunity to continue its stated mission of reducing its impact on the environment.
The company touted other steps it has already taken, including finding energy-saving solutions in stores, investing in alternative fuels, making good donations, reducing waste and supporting environmental organizations.
“For nearly 70 years, our company has striven to make a positive impact on the communities we serve,” Ruffner said. “A big part of this commitment is to encourage and create a clean, healthy environment.
“While we’re still early in this journey, we are continually taking steps, like this initiative, to reduce our overall impact.”
Sheetz will also continue seeking ways to reduce its carbon footprint, Ruffner continued, including potentially with future additions of on-site renewable sources.