Chevy Brings ‘Big Smile’ to the Face of Carbon Reduction

In January, Chevrolet announced new investments in projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions as a part of its carbon reduction program, which seeks to prevent up to 8 million metric tons of carbon dioxide from entering the earth’s atmosphere. The projects are as varied as they are innovative, from helping truckers avoid idling to forest conservation. Chevy is investing in renewable energy projects, too (a subject GM is very familiar with).

Oklahoma’s Big Smile Wind Farm at Dempsey Ridge (“Big Smile”), developed, owned and operated by a subsidiary of ACCIONA, has capacity to produce a total of 132 megawatts of clean energy from its 66 wind turbines. Spanning two counties, the Big Smile Wind Farm is situated on more than 7,500 acres of agricultural and grazing land. ACCIONA is a global operator in clean and renewable energies with over 9,000 megawatts installed worldwide.

“The sale of carbon reductions from the Big Smile Wind Farm at Dempsey Ridge was a key factor in ACCIONA’s decision to build the project and bring clean energy and good jobs to Oklahoma,” said Chip Readling, Vice President of North American Development for ACCIONA. “ACCIONA is pleased to partner with NativeEnergy to help Chevrolet meet its commitment to reducing carbon pollution.”

The project was placed into commercial operation in 2012. More than 780,000 metric tons of carbon reductions produced by Big Smile are projected to be retired over three years.

The Big Smile Wind Farm, which was named after the late Jennifer Koop-Krass and her “ever-present smile”, is located 15 miles west of ACCIONA’s Red Hills Wind Farm. Red Hills was the first renewable energy project in the United States to be validated and registered under the Voluntary Carbon Standard, an effort Koop-Krass led as ACCIONA’s North American director of energy marketing.

To date, Chevrolet has secured commitments for nearly 7 million metric tons. Read more about Chevy’s Carbon Reduction Program.