Portland General Electric (PGE) and Avangrid Renewables have signed off on an agreement to purchase power from a new 162MW PV installation that will be developed and built in eastern Oregon.
Once completed, the solar installation will be the largest ever developed in Oregon and will supply power and the accompanying renewable energy credits to PGE's Green Future Impact customers. Green Future Impact is a voluntary renewable energy program that PGE introduced to give large businesses and municipalities more ways to meet their ambitious sustainability goals and strengthen the local clean energy industry.
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Maria Pope, president and CEO of Portland General Electric, said: “We're proud to meet growing customer demand for clean energy. These partnerships are critical for creating jobs, thereby creating a green economy and accelerating clean energy delivery to customers.”
This new solar facility stands as Avangrid Renewables' 11th renewable energy installation developed in Oregon and will be built on roughly 485 privately-owned hectares of land in Gilliam County.
Construction is expected to begin in late 2020 or early 2021. During the peak of construction, the project is expected to create approximately 300 jobs through partnerships with local unions.
Once the facility commences operations in late 2021, it will produce enough energy to power the equivalent of about 40,000 homes and will generate an estimated US$1.3 million of taxes and property owner lease payments annually.
Avangrid Renewables will develop and own the project, which Green Future Impact customers will help name. PGE will purchase the facility's entire output over a 15-year span.
Alejandro de Hoz, Avangrid Renewables president and CEO, said: We value the opportunity to partner with PGE to build the largest solar facility in Oregon. Given our company's long history in the Pacific Northwest, we are proud to play a key role in delivering more renewable electricity to forward-thinking commercial energy customers.”