Nationally, companies such as Kohl's, Wal-Mart, Safeway and Whole Foods have also begun initiatives to use solar power.
Energy experts said that tax incentives provided by state and federal governments are also driving increased interest in environmentally friendly energy efforts. Constellation said it will receive a 30 percent tax credit for the McCormick project.
In last week's legislation to bail out the country's financial companies, Congress included an amendment to extend by eight years a 30 percent federal tax credit for solar energy projects at residential and commercial buildings. The legislation also allowed utilities to be eligible for the credit for the first time.
"The passage of the investment tax credit last week in the bailout bill will stimulate corporations to do more," said Peter Lowenthal, executive director of the MD-DC-VA Solar Energy Industries Association. "Companies have a tremendous amount of income, and they would like to shelter some of that in their tax write-offs."
Under the McCormick deal, Constellation will own the energy assets and sell the electricity under a 20-year agreement. McCormick said in a statement that the agreement allows it to use renewable energy sources without large upfront capital investment. The project will account for 30 percent of McCormick's electric energy needs at the two plants, Constellation said. The energy supplied by the effort will equal the electricity used by 110 homes annually, the companies said.
"Right out of the gate, it improves their carbon footprint," said Gregory S. Jarosinski, president and CEO of Constellation Energy's Projects & Services Group. "It reduces energy use at peak periods because that's when the sun is shining and electricity is normally more expensive."
McCormick said the solar project will have a large impact on its overall renewable energy plan because the spice mill is the company's largest milling and grinding facility.
