Technology giant Microsoft is buying nearly 400 MW of power from three new utility-scale solar projects in Illinois and Texas. EDP Renewables North America (EDPR NA) on Feb. 10 said the installations have come online with long-term virtual power purchase agreements (PPAs), through which Microsoft will take 389 MW of electricity and renewable energy credits.
The companies on Monday said they now have collaborated on five renewable energy projects in the U.S.
EDPR NA commissioned the 140-MW Wolf Run Solar Project near Jacksonville, Illinois, along with the 100-MW Hickory Solar Project in Jerseyville, Illinois, on the east side of the Mississippi River just north of St. Louis, Missouri. The company also is now operating the 150-MW Cattlemen II Solar Project about 70 miles northeast of Austin, Texas.
“The importance of ensuring benefits flowing from renewable energy development directly into communities has never been more important,” said Sandhya Ganapathy, CEO, EDP Renewables North America. “Through these three additional projects, we’re keeping our promise—and indeed the industry’s promise—to contribute to the nation’s growing energy demand and in that process invest in long-lasting economic growth of our communities.”
The Hickory project uses an Environmental Justice PPA (EJ PPA) developed by Microsoft and Volt Energy Utility, a minority-owned renewable energy developer focused on clean energy investments in rural and urban communities that have been impacted by pollution, and are considered more vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Hickory as part of the EJ PPA will contribute funding to enable Sharing the Power Foundation to offer financial assistance to organizations and causes that ensure equal access to clean air, water, and renewable energy, as well as offer availability to energy assistance programs. It also will offer opportunities to pursue workforce training in clean energy careers.
Wolf Run and Hickory have contributed $4.8 million to landowners, who lease a portion of their land to the projects, and millions of dollars to local governments through tax payments. The two Illinois projects created 500 construction jobs and five permanent jobs.
Cattlemen II in Texas will also contribute millions in taxes, benefiting the local school district and local government. The project created about 300 construction jobs and will support several permanent jobs in the area.
“It’s exciting when projects achieve commercial operations and begin generating clean energy in support of grid decarbonization,” said Kourtney Nelson, senior director of Renewable Energy Procurement, Microsoft. “We’re pleased with EDPR NA and Volt Energy Utility’s collaboration on Hickory and the positive impact the project will have with community grants and investing in future renewable energy leaders.”
—Darrell Proctor is a senior editor for POWER.