Ørsted Signs Texas Solar PPA with Google

Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--As it continues to build out its renewable footprint in the U.S., Ørsted A/S (Fredericia, Denmark) said Monday it has signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) with Google to purchase renewable power from Ørsted's operational Helena Wind Farm in Texas.

The 15-year agreement allows Google to buy 150 megawatts (MW) from the 268-MW, $280 million wind farm, which was commissioned in mid-2022. Located in Beeville, Texas, about 60 miles northwest of Corpus Christi, the wind farm is part of the 518-MW Helena Energy Center, which also includes a 250-MW solar center addition that is expected to wrap up in May; Blattner Energy Incorporated (Avon, Minnesota) is providing engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) services on the solar project.

Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Power project and plant databases can see detailed reports on the operational wind farm and the solar addition, and click here to see a profile on the Helena Energy Center.

Industrial Info is tracking other renewable-energy projects from Ørsted in the U.S., including the 471-MW Mockingbird solar farm in Lamar County, Texas, and the Sunflower wind farm in Marion, Kansas, northeast of Wichita, which will provide 199.5 MW of solar-generation capacity. According to trade publications, Mockingbird will be the largest solar-power facility in Ørsted's portfolio. Both projects are expected to wrap up in the second half of next year. Subscribers can see reports on the Mockingbird and Sunflower projects.

"As a trusted partner in providing clean energy solutions for our customers, we're proud to support Google's decarbonization goals on both a regional and global scale," said Monica Testa, head of origination at Ørsted Americas, in a press release. "Google's leadership in the investment of renewable energy and commitment to advancing 24/7 carbon-free energy by 2030 sets a strong example for companies across the globe and we look forward to helping them achieve that ambition."

That goal is reflected in data from the American Clean Power Association (ACP) (Washington, D.C.) that show Google's parent company, Alphabet Incorporated (NASDAQ:GOOGL) (Mountain View, California), was one of the top three corporate buyers of clean electricity in the U.S. in 2022. For more information, see Industrial Info's January 20, 2023, article - Tech Giants Lead in Buying Record Amount of Clean Power.

Last month, Google agreed to a "unique renewable energy procurement and investment strategy" with U.S.-based Sol Systems to support unnamed solar and battery-storage projects being developed by Pine Gate Renewables LLC (Asheville, North Carolina) in North Carolina and South Carolina. Sol Systems has financed or developed more than 1.5 GW of projects in the U.S., according to the company website.

Google currently has two operational data centers in the Carolinas: one in Lenoir, North Carolina, and another in Moncks Corner, South Carolina.

Subscribers to Industrial Info's GMI project and plant databases can click here for a full list of detailed reports for projects mentioned in this article, and click here for a full list of plant profiles.

Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking over 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 Trillion (USD).