Toyota Huntsville Finishes 168-acre Solar Array

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Toyota (NYSE: TM) and Toyota Tsusho America (TAI) and Huntsville Utilities have completed 168-acre solar project. The renewable energy produced will generate ~70 % of Toyota Alabama’s total energy. It is in keeping 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 annually, reducing an estimated 22,000 metric tons of CO2 emissions per year.

“Toyota is committed to clean and sustainable power. We know that the collective future for our community and our team members depends on clean mobility, clean air, clean water, and biodiversity,” said Jason Puckett, president of Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Alabama. “We are thankful for our partners on this project who have created a model of environmental stewardship in North Alabama.”

The solar array, located in the North Huntsville Industrial Park, surrounds Toyota Alabama with 72,000 individual solar panels. The site at 168-acres  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.

“Bringing projects like this to life aligns with TAI’s goal to create positive impacts in local communities, while also helping to create pathways to a sustainable future globally,” said Chris Simmons, TAI division head for green infrastructure. “TAI strives to be a model of responsible corporate environmental stewardship, and this partnership illustrates how we can work together to create a better future for us all.”

The PPA between TAI and Huntsville Utilities is the largest flexibility agreement of its kind, allowing the cost-to-serve municipal utility to purchase clean energy.

“Innovative approaches to clean energy generation are critical to Huntsville’s future growth,” said Wes Kelley, president and CEO of Huntsville Utilities. “Toyota’s forward-thinking approach to carbon neutrality has paved the way for additional public-private collaborations.”