RWE Signs PPAs With Meta for Power from Solar Farms
U.S. renewable energy major RWE announced the signing of two long-term power purchase agreements (PPAs) that will supply electricity to social media company Meta.
The deal is for clean energy from two solar farms with combined generation capacity of 374 MW. The solar facilities are RWE’s 274-MW County Run Solar project in Illinois, and the 100-MW Lafitte Solar project in Louisiana. Both are under construction, with commissioning planned for each site in late 2025.
RWE on August 13 said the PPAs will back Meta’s target of supporting its operations with 100% renewable energy. Meta, formerly known as Facebook, is one of the largest corporate buyers of renewable energy.
“RWE’s continued investment in the U.S. renewables market is underpinned by new opportunities to partner with leading technology companies like Meta, which are driving demand for clean energy to support their operations,” said Andrew Flanagan, CEO of RWE Clean Energy. “Today, we are able to meet this moment and generate impact with our rapidly scaling U.S. renewables platform to drive decarbonization across all industries, while fueling economic growth and job creation in those communities where we own and operate these facilities.”
Urvi Parekh, head of Renewable Energy at Meta, said “Partnering with renewable energy providers like RWE to bring new solar energy projects online is an important part of our approach to energy procurement. We are excited to scale our renewable energy contracts and this collaboration is an important demonstration of those efforts and our commitment to match 100% of the electricity use of our data centers and offices with renewable energy.”
Powering Communities and Fueling Growth
RWE continues its commitment to supporting local communities by fostering economic growth and job creation through the construction, ownership, and operation of renewables from coast to coast. Lafitte Solar signals RWE’s expansion into land-based renewables in Louisiana, and is the company’s first utility-scale solar project to break ground in the state.
During construction, the project will support $3.2 million in wages and benefits, and $14.8 million in economic output in Ouachita Parish. In addition, the project will generate about $31 million in tax revenues for the region over the lifetime of the project. It is anticipated the project will create about 140 full-time jobs during peak construction. RWE is partnering with McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. to build the solar farm.
County Run Solar, located in Clark, Coles and Cumberland counties in Illinois, is RWE’s second and largest utility-scale solar project under construction in that state, where the company currently owns and operates 605 MW of onshore wind capacity. 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 more than 1 GW.
County Run Solar is anticipated to create about 400 jobs during peak construction. RWE has enlisted Blattner Energy, LLC, to build the project. RWE’s County Run Solar is projected to generate $30 million in property tax revenues for Clark, Cumberland, and Coles counties once operational. The project will also provide about $65,000 in financial support for local initiatives, including the Lowery Blue Collar Scholarship, local ambulance services, and the 4-H chapter.
—POWER edited this content, which was contributed by RWE Clean Energy’s communications team.