Power generated at the East Line solar plant will be supplied to Intel’s Chandler Campus
sPower Sandstone Solar Energy Project. (Credit: Salt River Project)
US-based public power utility Salt River Project (SRP) and sPower, a renewable energy producer, are progressing construction on the 100MW East Line solar plant in Central Arizona, US.
Once operational in December this year, the power generated by the solar plant will support Intel’s Chandler Campus, which is the technology giant’s major global, semiconductor manufacturing site.
Being developed in Pinal County, the project is estimated to generate $10m in tax revenue over 25 years and create around 350 jobs during construction phase.
Intel Global Utilities and Infrastructure director Marty Sedler said: “For more than a decade, Intel has been one of the top voluntary corporate purchasers of green power, currently supplying our US and European facilities with 100% green power.
“Our goal is to achieve 100% renewable energy use across our global manufacturing operations by 2030 and projects like East Line Solar help make green power more accessible to all.”
East Line Solar plant is part of SRP’s Sustainable Energy Offering
The East Line Solar plant development is a part of SRP’s Sustainable Energy Offering, a programme which gives an option for SRP commercial customers to power a portion of their operations with clean, emission-free energy at an affordable price.
Under the programme, a total of 33 companies have signed up to take 300MW of solar power from Arizona-based solar power plants that also include the East Line solar plant.
The project is also a part of SRP’s increasing portfolio of renewable energy resources, which will contribute to the company’s 2035 Sustainability Goals to reduce carbon footprint by over 60% by 2035 and by 90% by 2050.
SRP associate general manager and chief customer executive Jim Pratt said: “With the East Line Solar project, we are supporting a great, locally based partner, Intel, meet its sustainability goals.
“We also experience many other benefits associated with utility-scale solar investment, like job creation and expansion in an environmentally sensible, growing industry.”
In April, sPower secured $350m tax equity commitment for Spotsylvania Solar Energy Center in Spotsylvania County, Virginia.