US renewable power developer Avangrid has commissioned its 202MWdc Powell Creek solar project in Putnam County, in the US state of Ohio.
The project has started exporting power to the local grid, and is the company’s second project to reach commercial operation in the state, following the 304MW Blue Creek solar farm.
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“Powell Creek is an important, utility-scale solar project that will contribute to north-west Ohio’s economy and energy independence,” said Avangrid CEO Pedro Azagra. “This project is coming online as energy demand continues to rise across the country, partly due to the growth of manufacturing, electrification and data centres.”
The commissioning of the project follows a number of announcements from Avangrid in the US clean energy space, including the commissioning of its largest project in the country, the 321MWdc True North solar project in Texas. Avangrid commissioned the first 20MW of the project in July 2024, and reached full-scale operations this week. The company has also signed a 25-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with Oregon state utility Portland General Electric for its 120MW Tower Solar project, which it expects to commission next year.
Avangrid is a subsidiary of Spanish utility Iberdrola, which invested a record €12 billion (US$12.5 billion) into its operations in 2024, driving a 31% year-on-year increase in its operational solar capacity. While much of the company’s focus has been in its European portfolios – investing €2 billion into its Spanish and Portuguese renewable power projects alone – its US investments, through Avangrid, have centred on some of the highest-growth states in the country.
The US Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) expects Texas and Ohio to add 41GW and 8.4GW of new solar capacity, respectively, over the next five years, the most and ninth-most among the US states. SEIA figures also show that Oregon’s ranking in terms of operational solar capacity jumped from 41st in the country at the beginning of 2024 to 25th by the end of the year.
