Sysco Corporation (NYSE:SYY), the leading global foodservice distribution company, announced on Feb. 25 that the company’s solar garden sites in the Houston and Dallas areas are fully-constructed and operational.

The three sites, named collectively Sysco Power Patch through an employee naming competition, are part of a 25 megawatt, ten-year renewable energy agreement with a subsidiary of NRG Energy, Inc. The project will support the majority of Sysco’s electricity load in Texas, including its corporate headquarters.

The Sysco Power Patch sites took six months to build and created 190 jobs during the peak of construction in 2018. The project sites are on 224 total acres and feature 201,792 solar panels. The sites will support approximately 10% of Sysco’s U.S. electricity usage, achieving half of the company’s 2025 responsibility goal of 20% renewable energy by 2025.

“We are committed to providing our customers with energy solutions that help achieve their goals,” said Mauricio Gutierrez, NRG Energy president and chief executive officer. “It is our honor to support the advancement of Sysco’s corporate responsibility strategy with a customized approach to renewable power.”

To celebrate this renewable energy activation, Sysco and NRG hosted an event at Sysco’s corporate headquarters in Houston, also attended by U.S. Representative Lizzie Fletcher.

“We are extremely proud to have the Sysco Power Patch sites operational and generating renewable energy,” said Tom Bené, Sysco’s chairman, president and chief executive officer. “These sites will reduce our carbon footprint, in order to protect and preserve the environment for future generations. Further, this project demonstrates Sysco’s commitment to corporate social responsibility and helps as we work to deliver a better tomorrow.”

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