Lockheed Martin Go Green Initiative: Solar Deal With Duke Energy Signed To Keep Reducing Greenhouse Emissions

Defense giant Lockheed Martin signed a 17-year deal Monday with Duke Energy Renewables to supply solar-generated electricity throughout all of the military manufacturer’s domestic operations. The deal is expected to generate some 72,000 megawatt-hours per year, adding to the 260,000 MWh of green power Lockheed already uses in the manufacturing of its large defense portfolio, according to a news release from the Maryland-based manufacturer.

In the release, the company outlined its commitments to reducing overall energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. “Signing this agreement for the acquisition of large-scale renewable power is a significant milestone towards our commitment to environmental stewardship and is one more step in the expansion of our Go Green program looking for operational efficiencies and best business value to our operations,­” said Carol B. Cala, Lockheed Martin vice president of energy, environment, safety and health. “We have a goal to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions by 35% by 2020 based on our 2010 emissions, and with this investment in renewables we are one step closer to achieving that goal.”

Lockheed Martin is one of the world’s biggest defense companies and is currently in a 50-year production cycle to build more than 2,000 F-35 stealth jets for the U.S. military and other militaries around the world. The aircraft is expected to replace various types of jets operated by the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy.

In 2015, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency listed Lockheed as one of the top corporations in green energy use. The North Carolina-based facility that Lockheed will use is the biggest east of the Mississippi and will produce around 170,000 MWh of total energy.

“We commend Lockheed Martin for its progressive goals and are pleased to deliver a competitively-priced solar solution that helps the company move forward with its commitment to sustainable operations,­” Greg Wolf, Duke Energy commercial portfolio president, said in the release.