Toyota Alabama, Toyota Tsusho America Inc. and Alabama public power utility Huntsville Utilities recently celebrated the completion of a $49 million solar project made possible by a joint power purchase agreement.
The 30-megawatt solar energy system will generate about 70 percent of Toyota Alabama’s total energy usage and aligns with the automaker’s goal of achieving carbon neutrality at all of its North American facilities by 2035. In total, the array will generate approximately 62,000 megawatt hours of energy on an annual basis.
“Clean solar energy is vital for powering the City of Huntsville as we continue to see a steady rise in energy demand,” said Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle. “Our partnership with Toyota has been instrumental in advancing this initiative, and we are excited about upcoming solar projects that will further enhance our commitment to sustainability and a cleaner future for our community.”
The solar array, located in the North Huntsville Industrial Park, surrounds Toyota Alabama with 72,000 individual solar panels. The site spans 168-acres, which is equal to 127 football fields. The project started in June 2023 and was led by TAI’s Energy Infrastructure Solutions team. TAI owns the solar array and is responsible for long-term operations.
The PPA between TAI and Huntsville Utilities is the largest flexibility agreement of its kind, allowing the municipal utility to purchase clean energy.
“Innovative approaches to clean energy generation are critical to Huntsville’s future growth,” said Wes Kelly, president of Huntsville Utilities. “Toyota’s forward-thinking approach to carbon neutrality has paved the way for additional public-private collaborations.
