(Photo: An EDP Renewables wind farm under construction. Credit: EDP Renewables North America on YouTube)
Microsoft Corporation and EDP Renewables signed two 15-year power purchase agreements today totaling 125 megawatts of power from a wind farm in Ohio. These deals bring Microsoft’s directly purchased renewable energy portfolio to almost 1.4 gigawatts.
The 125-MW Timber Road IV Wind Farm in Paulding County, Ohio is expected to be operational this year, Microsoft and EDP Renewables say. Once online, it will be EDPR’s third wind farm in the county and their third in the state. For Microsoft, the wind farm represents the company’s fifth project in the larger PJM region.
Major corporations have been anticipating a renewable energy boom in Ohio for a while now. A report by Synapse Energy Economics and the Great Lakes Energy Institute at Case Western Reserve University published in June 2018 offered examples of how many companies in the state are investing in renewables. The report’s advisory board included JPMorgan Chase, Owens Corning, Walmart, Eaton, Procter & Gamble, Whirlpool, and EDP Renewables.
“We are constantly looking for opportunities where our corporate demand can not only be met but can also accelerate the transition to renewable sources,” said Brian Janous, general manager, energy and sustainability at Microsoft. “Bringing new wind projects online, particularly in states with relatively few projects but strong potential for growth, delivers both economic benefits and environmental progress.”
The tech company has been on a renewable energy roll lately. Microsoft just announced a 74-megawatt solar project in North Carolina with Invenergy. Under the terms of the 15-year PPA, Microsoft will become the sole off-taker of energy generated at the Wilkinson Solar Energy Center that Invenergy is planning for Beaufort County.
North Carolina ranks second in installed solar capacity among US states, Invenergy said. The company added that, once completed, the Wilkinson Solar Energy Facility would be among the largest solar installations in the state.
Last year Microsoft was one of the top five companies worldwide for corporate renewable energy deals, according to the Business Renewables Center’s Deal Tracker. Their PPAs, which included 315 megawatts of solar power in Virginia, totaled 405 MW for 2018.
The 4th Annual Environmental Leader & Energy Manager Conference takes place May 13 – 15, 2019 in Denver. Learn more here.