RTX’s Collins Aerospace celebrates groundbreaking of new solar farm at Rockford campus
New installation will help supply roughly 10 percent of Rockford plant’s electricity needs annually
ROCKFORD, Ill. April 26, 2024 – Collins Aerospace, an RTX (NYSE: RTX) business, today celebrated the groundbreaking of a new 6.5-acre solar farm at its Electric Power Systems facility in Rockford, Illinois. The farm will be owned and operated by ENGIE North America (ENGIE) as part of a 15-year power purchase agreement. The new installation will help supply roughly 10 percent of the Rockford Plant 6 facility’s electricity needs annually and is expected to begin operating later this year.
The project will create renewable electricity certificates retained by ENGIE, while Collins will pay for the electricity and purchase replacement certificates from other qualified renewable projects. Overall, the agreement will reduce the plant’s greenhouse gas emissions by more than 1,500 metric tons of carbon dioxide annually, the equivalent of taking 357 gasoline-powered cars off the road for one year.
“By 2030, RTX has pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 46% from 2019 levels,” said Annette McNeely, vice president, Environment, Health & Safety for RTX. “One of the ways we will achieve that goal is by increasing our use of renewable electricity through initiatives like our Rockford solar farm — one of 11 onsite solar projects RTX initiated in 2023.”
“We are thrilled to break ground on this important sustainability initiative with the construction of the solar farm,” said Jacques Boonen, chief strategy officer at ENGIE. “This project underscores ENGIE’s commitment to reducing our environmental footprint while enhancing operational efficiency. We are not only embracing renewable energy but also paving the way for a greener future in the communities where we operate.”
About Collins Aerospace
Collins Aerospace, an RTX business, is a leader in integrated and intelligent solutions for the global aerospace and defense industry. Our 80,000 employees are dedicated to delivering future-focused technologies to advance sustainable and connected aviation, passenger safety and comfort, mission success, space exploration and more.
About RTX
With more than 185,000 global employees, RTX pushes the limits of technology and science to redefine how we connect and protect our world. Through industry-leading businesses – Collins Aerospace, Pratt & Whitney, and Raytheon – we are advancing aviation, engineering integrated defense systems, and developing next-generation technology solutions and manufacturing to help global customers address their most critical challenges. The company, with 2023 sales of $69 billion, is headquartered in Arlington, Virginia.
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