Colo data center developer Digital Realty has signed an agreement to purchase 5.1MW of solar power from Summit Ridge Energy.

The energy will be supplied from three Summit Ridge-owned and operated commercial solar projects in Illinois. The exact details of the projects were not disclosed.

The projects are expected to be energized and interconnected to the Commonwealth Edison utility grid by late 2025 to early 2026. The solar projects are part of Summit Ridge’s broader portfolio of solar assets across the state of Illinois. According to the company, its Illinois portfolio has a combined capacity of 439MW.

“At Digital Realty, we are committed to advancing sustainable energy solutions that align with our global carbon reduction goals,” said Aaron Binkley, VP of Sustainability at Digital Realty. “Collaborating with Summit Ridge Energy supports our efforts to integrate more renewable energy into our operations while also contributing to a more resilient power grid in Illinois.”

Digital Realty will receive renewable energy credits generated from the projects to offset the energy consumption from its Northern Illinois-based data centers.

“Digital Realty’s commitment to purchasing solar energy highlights the growing importance of leveraging alternative energy solutions in industries that depend on reliable power. With this agreement, we’re building a diversified, stronger grid while delivering tangible benefits to businesses,” said Marc Fioravanti, SVP of Business Development at Summit Ridge Energy.

“This partnership illustrates that solar is playing an important role in the dramatic growth of the energy needs of technology companies, including those driven by AI and increased data processing.”

CBRE acted as Digital Realty's community solar advisor on the agreement and assisted in the selection of Summit Ridge based on its community solar expertise and advanced project development status.

Digital Realty has placed the procurement of renewable energy as a central tenet of its sustainability agenda. It has approached this through a myriad of ways, including renewable energy matching programs and long-term Power Purchase Agreements (PPA).

Most recently, the company announced that it had achieved 100 percent renewable energy coverage across its operations in Singapore, following an offtake agreement with Tuas Power, one of Singapore’s largest power generation firms.

Before this, in February, Digital Realty joined two 24/7 energy matching programs in Sweden and France. The programs match power demand from the firm's data centers with an equivalent volume of carbon-free energy generated and injected into the grid at the same time.

On the PPA front, last May, the colo provider signed five PPAs in Spain and France for 134MW of power.