International law firm DLA Piper has signed up for a virtual power purchase agreement (VPPA) with NextEnergy Group for a 13 MW solar power plant in the UK, which it claims makes it the 1st law firm anywhere in the world to enter under such a transaction.
NextEnergy Group will build and operate the solar farm in Somerset, England. Power generated will be grid connected and supplied to the interconnected power network that supplies DLA Piper's 15 European and UK offices. DLA Piper said the power generated by the solar farm will at least be equivalent to or excess of the power used by these offices.
The law firm has committed to bring down its GHG emissions in absolute terms to half by 2030. Environmental credits generated by the facility will apply to its value chain, including exploring innovative mechanisms to supply the surplus to support the firm's suppliers and business partners in their decarbonization efforts.
"We are the first law firm to enter into a corporate PPA so this project is a true statement of our ambition to be one of the most impactful business law firms for sustainability," said DLA Piper's International Head of Sustainability and ESG and Global Co-Chair Energy and Natural Resources, Natasha Luther-Jones. "The firm has advised on over 1,000 renewable energy deals and projects over the past decade and it has been a real pleasure to apply the deep expertise that we have gained over this period to our own need to decarbonize."
While virtual PPAs do not entail a physical delivery of energy generated through a renewable energy plant, it does provide organizations an option to support such assets to come online.
Recently, UK based online renewable energy procurement platform Zeigo executed PPA for investment fund Downing LLP owned 2 solar farms with a major unidentified local energy supplier (see Online UK RE Procurement Platform Clinches 1st Deal).
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