EDP Renewables and utility company Salt River Project (SRP) have executed a 25-year power purchase agreement for 200 MW at the Randolph Solar Park in Pinal County, located in south-central Arizona. The entire capacity of the solar park will be dedicated to supporting Facebook’s newly announced data centre in Mesa, Arizona
“We enjoy working with partners who share our sustainability vision, and we are happy to work with EDP Renewables to support Facebook’s new data centre with renewable solar energy,” Kelly Barr, sustainability executive at SRP, said. “All organisations involved in this effort are jointly reducing carbon emissions in Arizona and setting a precedent for a green energy future.”
The park is expected to be operational in 2023, generating enough electricity to annually power more than 49,000 average Arizona homes. The investment is part of the utility’s expanded commitment to add 2,025 MW of utility-scale solar resources to its power system by 2025 and serve customer energy needs with renewable energy.
“Access to renewable energy and a strong grid was an important part of our decision to build in Mesa,” Urvi Parekh, head of renewable energy at Facebook, said. “Facebook is committed to having a positive impact on local communities, and we’re excited to help bring this additional investment and jobs to the area.”
“Arizona has an abundance of opportunities in the solar space, and this transaction allows EDP Renewables to expand our presence in this growing market,” Miguel Prado, North America CEO of EDP Renewables, said. “We are eager to break ground next year on this project, which will provide an economic boost to the local economy and sustainable, reliable energy to Arizonians.”
