Austin, Texas, August 13, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — RWE, the third largest renewable energy company in the United States, today announced that it has signed two long-term power purchase agreements (PPAs) with Meta for two solar farms under construction in the United States. The two PPAs strengthen RWE’s strategy to meet clean energy demand with power from its U.S. renewable energy portfolio.
On-site construction is underway at RWE’s 274 megawatt (MWac) County Run Solar project in Illinois and the 100 MWac Lafitte Solar project in Louisiana, with commissioning planned for both sites by the end of 2025.
The clean electricity generated by RWE will help Meta achieve its goal of 100% renewable energy for its operations. Meta is one of the largest commercial users of renewable energy.
Andrew Flanagan, CEO of RWE Clean Energy: “RWE’s continued investment in the U.S. renewable energy market is underpinned by new opportunities to collaborate with leading technology companies like Meta that are driving demand for clean energy to support their operations. Today, we are positioned to seize this moment and create impact with our rapidly growing U.S. renewable energy platform to drive decarbonization across all industries while supporting economic growth and job creation in the communities where we own and operate these assets.”
Urvi Parekh, Head of Renewable Energy at Meta: “Working with renewable energy providers like RWE to bring new solar energy projects online is an important part of our approach to energy procurement. We look forward to expanding our renewable energy contracts and this collaboration is an important testament to those efforts and our commitment to achieving 100% renewable energy for our data centers and offices.”
RWE’s two contracts with Meta underline the company’s strategy to work with leading technology companies to develop solutions to support the growing demand for clean energy.
Strengthening communities and driving growth
RWE remains committed to supporting local communities by driving economic growth and job creation through the construction, ownership and operation of renewable energy from coast to coast.
Lafitte Solar marks RWE’s expansion into mainland Louisiana renewable energy and is the company’s first large-scale solar project to be initiated in the state. During construction, the project will generate $3.2 million in wages and benefits and $14.8 million in economic output in Ouachita Parish. In addition, the project will generate approximately $31 million in tax revenue for the region over the life of the project. The project is expected to create approximately 140 full-time jobs during the peak construction phase. RWE is partnering with McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. to build the solar farm.
County Run Solar, located in Clark, Coles and Cumberland counties, is RWE’s second and largest utility-scale solar project currently under construction in Illinois. The company currently owns and operates 605 megawatts (MW) of onshore wind turbines there. When fully operational, County Run Solar, along with the recently announced 150 MWac Casey Fork Solar, will bring RWE’s total installed capacity in Illinois to over 1 GW, enough to power approximately 800,000 homes and businesses annually. County Run Solar is expected to create approximately 400 jobs during the peak construction period, and RWE has contracted Blattner Energy, LLC to build the project. RWE’s County Run Solar is expected to generate $30 million in property tax revenue for Clark, Cumberland and Coles counties once it is operational. The project will also provide approximately $65,000 in financial support to local initiatives, including the Lowery Blue Collar Scholarship, local emergency services and the 4-H chapter.
For more information, visit americas.rwe.com.
RWE in the USA
RWE is a leading renewable energy company in the United States. With more than 15 years of experience in the U.S. renewable energy business, the company has an outstanding track record in developing, building and operating renewable energy assets. RWE’s approximately 2,000-strong team in the United States is fully committed to driving the energy transition in North America. Together with our partners, we develop innovative solutions and drive technological advances for our customers to reshape energy supplies for future generations. RWE Clean Energy, a subsidiary of RWE AG, operates a renewable energy portfolio with 9.7 gigawatts (GW) of installed capacity of onshore wind, solar and battery storage, making the company the third-largest renewable energy company in the United States and the third-largest owner and operator of solar assets in the country, with a presence in most U.S. states. RWE Offshore Wind Holdings, a subsidiary of RWE Offshore Wind, is the only U.S. developer with offshore wind leases on the East, West and Gulf Coasts, including the company’s first commercial-scale floating wind project.As part of the RWE Group’s “Growing Green” strategy, which aims to expand its green portfolio to more than 65 GW of installed capacity worldwide and invest €55 billion worldwide from 2024 to 2030, the company has earmarked around €20 billion to significantly increase its operating asset base in the US. This will be supported by a project pipeline of more than 36 GW in onshore wind, solar and battery storage, as well as 6 GW of offshore wind, representing one of the largest development platforms in the US.
-
RWE signs two PPAs with Meta to supply Louisiana and Illinois with clean solar power
