Cargill expands renewable electricity portfolio
These projects build on Cargill‘s broader renewable electricity efforts, including six VPPAs in North America and a global portfolio of more than 100 renewable energy projects across 30 countries.
USA – Cargill is expanding its renewable electricity portfolio in the central United States through new wind and solar power agreements in South Dakota and Oklahoma, strengthening efforts to reduce emissions associated with its food and agricultural operations.
The company has entered into a 12.6-year virtual power purchase agreement (VPPA) for 87 MW of electricity from the Sweetland Wind project in South Dakota, while also securing the full output of the 85 MW Choctaw Fields Solar project in Oklahoma.
The Sweetland Wind agreement is expected to generate approximately 392,000 MWh of renewable electricity annually.
Cargill estimates the project will reduce about 162,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) emissions each year from its operations.
The company said the agreement expands its use of renewable electricity in regions where it operates significant food production and processing facilities.
The Choctaw Fields Solar project, meanwhile, began commercial operations in August 2026. Cargill’s long-term VPPA covers the project’s entire 85 MW output and is expected to support approximately 1.30 million tonnes of CO2e emissions reductions over the life of the agreement, equivalent to around 86,000 tonnes annually.
Combined, the two projects are expected to support approximately 3.3 million tonnes of emissions reductions over their respective contract periods.
Both projects are located within the Southwest Power Pool (SPP), a regional electricity grid serving much of the central United States.
The location is strategically important for Cargill because the company operates large facilities in the region that produce and process products such as beef, sweeteners, and feed ingredients.
Cargill said sourcing renewable electricity within the same regional grid can more directly connect its energy strategy to its operations and customer supply chains.
The company uses VPPAs as one part of a broader strategy to reduce emissions from electricity consumption.
Under a VPPA, renewable electricity is delivered to the regional grid rather than directly to a company’s facilities, while the purchaser receives the associated environmental attributes from the renewable generation.
This lets companies support new renewable generation while addressing emissions from electricity use.
Christina Yagjian, senior director of global renewable energy at Cargill, said the company is working with customers to address emissions associated with products sourced from Cargill.
She added that expanding renewable electricity in operating regions can better link energy sourcing to the ingredients and products supplied to customers.
The new projects build on Cargill’s wider renewable electricity programme, which now includes six VPPAs in North America and more than 100 renewable energy projects across 30 countries.
The company is targeting a 25% reduction in absolute Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions from a 2020 baseline by 2035.
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