Microsoft To Buy Massive Solar Power Project

On Wednesday, Technology leader, Microsoft stated it's intention to purchase 315 megawatts (MW) of energy from two fresh solar facilities in Virginia.

The tech giant will acquire energy from the Pleinmont I and II sites in what it characterized as “the single largest corporate purchase of solar energy ever in the United States.”

Solar Developers

The Pleinmont developments are part of a more significant 500 MW project owned and commanded by sPower, an AES and AIMCo business. When operational, Pleinmont I and II will have over 750,000 solar panels covering further than 2,000 acres.

“Today, we’re signing the largest corporate solar agreement in the United States, a 315-megawatt project in Virginia that will move us ahead of schedule in creating a cleaner cloud,” stated Brad Smith, president, Microsoft. “This project means more than just gigawatts because our commitment is broader than transforming our own operations; it’s also about helping others access more renewable energy.

“This project is our second solar agreement in Virginia and allows our Virginia data centers to be powered fully by solar energy,” Brad Smith, Microsoft’s president, announced in a declaration Wednesday.

Purchasing A Lot Of Power

Microsoft’s total of immediately purchased renewable energy presently stands at around 1.2 gigawatts (GW). This, Smith said, was sufficient power to light 100 million LED bulbs.

More than 10 GW of new solar photovoltaic capability was installed in the U.S. in 2017, according to a contemporary report from GTM Research and the Solar Energy Industries Association. Photovoltaic is a term that regards the way of directly converting light from the sun into electricity.

Virginia’s governor, Ralph Northam, greeted Wednesday’s news. “When companies like Microsoft invest in Virginia solar, they opt for clean and steady energy as well as new jobs in the energy economy we are working hard to build,” he stated.

Microsoft’s latest disclosure follows recent renewable energy deals in Asia. At the beginning of March, the company recognized to buy all the renewable energy output from a 60 MW solar project in Singapore, its first clean energy deal in Asia. A few days later, it declared it had agreed to buy 3 MW of solar-powered electricity in India. 

“Microsoft’s participation is a game-changer for this project and for other buyers,” stated Ryan Creamer, CEO of sPower. “Their early commitment helped ensure that the project continued to move forward and come to fruition at a time of regulatory uncertainty. Microsoft’s large off-take also helped us offer very cost-competitive options for other buyers looking at our Virginia portfolios. This model broadens the ability for buyers of all sizes to participate in a large project like this, yet only take the megawatts they need for their business goals. We’re proud to be working with Microsoft on this innovative approach.”

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