OSF HealthCare recently announced a commitment to Clearway Energy Group‘s Community Solar projects with a 4.6 MW subscription. The partnership allows OSF Healthcare to transition to renewable energy by way of Clearway Community Solar’s Illinois solar farms.

OSF HealthCare — A Mission to Do Good

OSF HealthCare, a leading integrated healthcare provider in Illinois and Michigan, oversees 147 locations, 14 hospitals, and 2,097 licensed beds. OSF’s Manager of Energy and Sustainability, Michael Keef, says the long-term partnership allows OSF to expand the good they do by putting their “…commitment to environmental stewardship and sustainability into action.” The investment provides another avenue through which OSF HealthCare can support important local environmental initiatives. The arrangement brings OSF other benefits as well, including:

Reduced utility costs
Support for Illinois’ move to carbon-free energy
Benefits for rural communities where many OSF patients live
An emphasis on innovation and leadership

A Step Forward for Solar in Illinois

A goal for the state of Illinois is to supply 25% of electric sales through renewable energy sources by 2025, which makes OSF’s commitment great for the state. OSF’s subscription will support the development of three new Clearway Community Solar projects in Ameren territory, while supporting several of Clearway’s ComEd projects.

These Community Solar projects represent over $160 million in investments in Illinois and are supported through the Illinois Shines Community Solar Program, which is a part of the Future Energy Jobs Act. The development of these solar farms will also support more than 70 jobs during construction as well as permanent positions once operating.

Last year, Clearway announced the construction of six Illinois community solar farms in 2021. Those planned sites are part of Clearway’s goal of supplying 60 MW of solar energy to the state. They will serve more than 2,160 subscribers in the ComEd and Ameren service territories and the power generated will be equal to remov ing 4,200 cars from the road or reducing the amount of coal burned by 22 million pounds.

Join the Movement

Clearway’s community solar initiative allows customers to subscribe to solar energy, even if they don’t have rooftop solar panels. The program is available to customers throughout Illinois. Subscribers in the ComEd and Ameren territories can receive credits on their utility bills, leading to lower electricity bills.