Google has signed a 150 MW power purchase agreement (PPA) with Ørsted to purchase renewable energy generated by Helena Wind Farm for the next 15 years, a partnership that builds on Ørsted’s growing U.S. renewable energy portfolio. The project, located in Bee County, Texas, was commissioned in mid-2022 and provides low-cost electricity to the South ERCOT service territory, enough to power an estimated 90,000 homes.
This marks the first agreement between Google and Ørsted in the US, and the second agreement globally. Both power purchase agreements will contribute to Google’s commitment to operate all its data centres, cloud regions, and offices on 24/7 carbon free energy by 2030.
“Building a 24/7 carbon free energy portfolio requires us to blend various resources to optimise for hourly production, and that’s exactly what this project helps us accomplish” says Sana Ouji, Energy Lead at Google. “We’re excited to continue our partnership with Ørsted and add this wind project to our existing solar portfolio in ERCOT as we serve customers out of our Dallas cloud region.”
Google was the first to set a 24/7 carbon free energy goal, which means the company aims to match its electricity demand with carbon free energy supply every hour of every day, in every region where it operates, by 2030. Many other organisations have since adopted similar pledges.
“As a trusted partner in providing clean energy solutions for our customers, we’re proud to support Google’s decarbonisation goals on both a regional and global scale,” says Monica Testa, Head of Origination at Ørsted Americas. “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.”
The Helena Wind Farm is a 268 MW onshore wind farm located in Pawnee, Texas. Nearly 300 jobs have been created to construct and operate the facility. The facility represents a nearly half billion-dollar investment in Bee County and will generate tens of millions in tax revenue that will enhance county services, providing additional support for the local school districts without raising taxes.
Ørsted has an ambition to reach 17.5 GW of onshore renewables in 2030 and aims to deliver approximately 1.5 GW of additional capacity annually while growing a clean energy portfolio consisting of wind, solar, storage and renewable hydrogen.
