The American Wind Energy Association reported that retail and other non-utility buyers signed 23 percent of the wind power purchase agreements (PPAs) inked in 2014. This represents over 1,770 MW of generation. Other renewable energy customers mentioned in the article include leading technology firms like Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and Yahoo!—as well as other major retail and consumer brands like IKEA, Walmart, Anheuser-Busch, and Mars, and even the industrial conglomerate Dow Chemical. In addition to the corporate customers, federal entities like the Air Force and the General Services Administration (the facilities and logistics management arm of the federal government) signed major contracts. Several major universities also signed wind PPAs: Cornell, Harvard, Ohio State, and Oklahoma State. DOE’s Green Power Network newsletter recently noted that Apple is now powering 100 percent of its US operations with renewables. Meanwhile, in addition to signing PPAs, Google and IKEA have invested directly in wind projects.
