No matter what, you’re going to spend money on utility bills and taxes.  When you buy your company a solar power plant, those dollars go back onto your balance sheet in the form of a long term asset that makes energy from sunlight.

So the choice these companies made was about whether to put their money to a smarter use–one that actually yields financial benefits.  Solar is an asset that prevents an otherwise inevitable expense. Owning a power plant is effectively self-producing what you had previously imported into your operation from a supplier who doesn’t negotiate terms.