Facebook will purchase 61.6MW portion of the total 80MW to be generated by the Altavista solar project
Image: Facebook signs PPA for 61.6MW portion of Altavista solar project in Virginia. Photo courtesy of Joe Zlomek/Freeimages.
Social media giant Facebook has entered into a power purchase agreement (PPA) to buy electricity generated by Altavista solar photovoltaic (PV) project in Virginia.
As per the terms of the deal, Facebook will purchase 61.6MW portion of the total 80MW to be generated by the solar project.
Located in Campbell County, Virginia, the Altavista Solar project is owned by the US-based renewable energy company Apex Clean Energy.
Apex Clean Energy said that the new transaction is followed by a PPA with Facebook in this year.
Under a contract signed in August, Facebook will receive 200MW portion of the 525MW Aviator Wind project in Texas, to be commissioned in 2020.
Apex Clean Energy president and CEO Mark Goodwin said: “Facebook is a clear leader in driving the transition to a new energy economy and working to lay the foundation for other companies, large and small, to achieve significant carbon reduction goals with cost-competitive renewable energy.”
“We’re thrilled to once again partner with Facebook at Altavista Solar, expanding Apex’s track record of fulfilling corporate clean energy demand as the private sector escalates its efforts to decarbonize the grid.”
Altavista Solar project is expected to be operational in 2020
Apex said that the Altavista Solar project will be its largest solar project to date and its first renewable energy facility on the East Coast.
Slated to be operational in 2020, the project will be the first solar energy project in Campbell County, Virginia.
The electricity purchased form the solar park will be used for Facebook’s operations in Virginia and will support the firm to meet its goal of reducing its carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 75% and power 100% of its operations with renewables in 2020.
Facebook renewable energy head Urvi Parekh said: “We are happy to be partnering with Apex once again to add new renewable energy to the grid and bring additional investment to the state of Virginia.
“Facebook has set an ambitious goal of supporting its global operations with 100% renewable energy in 2020, and we appreciate Apex’s partnership as we work to reach that goal.”
During the construction phase, the Altavista solar project is expected to generate about 200 full-time jobs and more than $1.8m in local tax revenue over its 35-year lifetime.