On Friday, April 26, RTX’s Collins Aerospace broke ground on a 6.5-acre, 2.6 MW solar farm in Rockford, Illinois. Located at their Electric Power Systems facility, this new installation will help to supply approximately 10 percent of the Rockford Plant 6 facility’s electricity needs each year. Construction on the solar farm is expected to be completed by late 2024.
This exciting new project will reduce the plant’s greenhouse gas emissions by more than 1,500 metric tons of carbon dioxide annually—that’s the equivalent of taking 375 gasoline-powered cars off the road for one year. As a leader in integrated and intelligent solutions for the global aerospace and defense industry, Collins Aerospace is dedicated to advancing future-focused and sustainable technologies in a variety of spaces.
“As part of Collins’ sustainability roadmap, we are committed not only to creating greener products for our customers, but also to making our own manufacturing operations environmentally friendly,” said Steve Kotso, Executive Director of Electric Power Systems at Collins Aerospace.
The solar farm will be owned and operated by ENGIE North America and will participate in the Illinois Shines program. Renewable energy certificates created by the project will be procured by the electric utilities to support the state in compliance with the Illinois Renewable Portfolio Standard. Collins Aerospace will pay for electricity and purchase replacement certificates from other renewable energy projects.
"We are thrilled to break ground on this important sustainability initiative with the construction of the solar farm," said Kristen Fornes, Vice President at ENGIE. "This project underscores ENGIE’s commitment to reducing our environmental footprint while enhancing operational efficiency. We are not only embracing renewable energy but also paving the way for a greener future in the communities where we operate."
Beyond the monetary savings and generations of clean energy, the Rockford solar farm will serve to foster continued interest and momentum in renewable energy, as the state of Illinois continues building toward a clean energy future one community at a time.
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