Austin, Texas, Aug. 13, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — RWE, the third largest renewable energy company in the U.S., today announced it signed two long-term power purchase agreements (PPA) with Meta from two solar farms under construction in the U.S. The two PPAs further strengthen RWE’s strategy to support the demand for clean energy with power from its U.S. renewables portfolio.
Onsite construction is underway on RWE’s 274 megawatt (MWac) County Run Solar project in Illinois and on its 100 MWac Lafitte Solar project in Louisiana, with commissioning planned for both sites in late 2025.
The clean power generated by RWE will contribute to Meta’s target of supporting its operations with 100% renewable energy. Meta is one of the largest corporate buyers of renewable energy.
Andrew Flanagan, CEO of RWE Clean 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. 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: “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.”
RWE’s two contracts with Meta underscore the company’s strategy to collaborate with leading technology companies on solutions to support the rising demand for clean 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, is RWE’s second and largest utility-scale solar project under construction in Illinois, where the company currently owns and operates 605 megawatts (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, enough to power approximately 800,000 homes and businesses annually. County Run Solar is anticipated to create approximately 400 jobs during peak construction and 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 approximately $65,000 in financial support for local initiatives, including the Lowery Blue Collar Scholarship, local ambulance services, and the 4-H chapter.
For more information, visit americas.rwe.com.
RWE in the US
RWE is a top tier renewable energy company in the United States. With more than 15 years in the U.S. renewables business, the company has an outstanding track record in developing, constructing, and operating renewable energy facilities. The approximately 2,000-person RWE team in the U.S. is fully committed to forging ahead with the clean energy transition in North America. Together with our partners, we develop innovative solutions and drive technological progress for our customers to help re-shape the energy supply for future generations. RWE Clean Energy, a subsidiary of RWE AG, operates a renewable energy portfolio of 9.7 gigawatts (GW) installed capacity of onshore wind, solar and battery storage, making it the number three renewable energy company in the U.S. and the country’s third largest solar owner and operator, present in most U.S. states. RWE Offshore Wind Holdings, a subsidiary of RWE Offshore Wind, is the only U.S. developer with offshore wind lease areas 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 to expand globally its green portfolio to more than 65 GW of installed capacity and to invest EUR 55 billion worldwide from 2024 to 2030, the company has earmarked about EUR 20 billion to significantly increase its operating asset base in the U.S. This is backed by a project pipeline of more than 36 GW in onshore wind, solar and battery storage and 6 GW of offshore wind, which provides for one of the largest development platforms in the U.S.
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