Ever.green Brings Microsoft Suppliers Together to Power a New Solar Project in Rural North Carolina
By purchasing High-Impact RECs through Ever.green, a cohort of Microsoft suppliers are contributing to new clean electricity generation in Anson County, NC
ANSON COUNTY, N.C., April 22, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ever.green, a clean energy marketplace empowering businesses of all sizes to participate in the energy transition, today announced the completion of Baron, a 5 megawatt (MW) solar project in Anson County, North Carolina. The project was developed and will be owned and operated by Headwater Energy.
A group of Microsoft suppliers, including Slalom Consulting, Centific Technologies, ImagiCorps, BDA, Eleven 11 Solutions, TASA Analytics, and Visionet Systems, signed long-term contracts for renewable energy certificates to support the new solar project in reaching financial close, delivering on Microsoft’s Carbon-Free Electricity expectations. Microsoft’s Supplier Code of Conduct expects select large-scale Microsoft suppliers to transition to 100% carbon-free electricity (CFE) for goods and services provided to Microsoft by 2030.
“Through our Supplier Code of Conduct sustainability expectations, Microsoft aims to enable large and small suppliers to take action to reduce their carbon emissions,” said Edmond Chan, Group Sustainability Manager at Microsoft.
Projects like Baron are often difficult to bring to market. Many small and mid-sized solar projects face a common structural challenge. While the economics may work on paper, lenders typically require significant contracted revenue before financing construction. Without committed buyers, otherwise viable projects can stall before reaching financial close. Together, the participating Microsoft suppliers committed to a volume of renewable energy credits that collectively was sufficient to help move this new project forward.
Unlike annually-procured, spot-market RECs (which are typically purchased from existing projects), Ever.green’s High-Impact RECs are designed to provide the revenue certainty developers need to secure financing for new projects, enabling buyers to play a direct role in bringing additional carbon-free electricity online.
“Ever.green was designed specifically to make this kind of collective action possible. We’re one of the few organizations that empowers companies of all sizes to advance their carbon-free electricity goals by acquiring High-Impact RECs that have real impact at the community level,” said Liz Pearce, Chief Revenue Officer at Ever.green. “Slalom and the other Microsoft suppliers are ideal examples of corporate buyers that are driving real community impact because it's in their own interest, as well as the interest of their clients, employees, partners and other stakeholders.”
“We're a consulting partner to thousands of clients, and we are deeply embedded in their supply chains, so we realize our environmental footprint extends well beyond our Slalom office doors,” said John Poling, Managing Director, Client Leadership, Carolinas at Slalom. “What that means is our choices impact their choices. Because of that, we're committed to 100% renewable energy by 2030, and this solar project in North Carolina is a big part of that commitment.”
“Baron Solar is a great example of how innovative contracting structures can unlock projects that might not otherwise move forward,” said Myles Watson, COO at Headwater Energy. “By working with Ever.green and this group of committed buyers, we were able to secure the revenue certainty needed to bring this project to life.”
Baron Solar is now generating clean energy in Anson County, a rural, low-income community 45 miles southeast of Charlotte. The project represents a meaningful long-term investment in the county, generating new property tax revenue that supports schools, emergency services, and other essential public functions. Built with domestically manufactured panels and local labor, the project will avoid roughly 7,810 metric tons of CO2 emissions annually, the equivalent of removing approximately 1,820 cars from the road each year.
The electricity produced by Baron Solar is delivered into the regional cooperative system that serves Pee Dee Electric, helping meet the energy needs of the broader community in which the project is located. By adding a source of generation with no fuel cost, the project contributes to a more stable and predictable supply mix over time. While individual projects do not determine retail electricity rates, projects like Baron Solar can help reduce exposure to fuel price volatility and support more stable long-term energy costs across the cooperative system.
About Ever.green
Ever.green is the trusted marketplace for buying and selling High-Impact RECs. Its mission is to empower businesses of all sizes to meaningfully participate in the energy transition. Companies like Stripe, Atlassian, Brooks Running and Watershed use Ever.green to meet their sustainability goals and invest in the energy transition. Ever.green offers streamlined diligence, transaction, and compliance services to reduce risks and maximize impact for all parties. The company is headquartered in Seattle, WA. For more information, visit www.ever.green.
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