In mid-May, energyRe signed a clean energy agreement with Google. EnergyRe is developing over 600 MW of solar and solar-and-storage projects in South Carolina. Through the collaboration, Google can purchase Renewable Energy Credits from the portfolio.
The latest agreement with Google is energyRe’s second collaboration with the tech giant. Last October, the company announced that Google had signed a 12-year power purchase agreement for electricity and Renewable Energy Credits from a 435 MW solar project, capable of powering over 56,000 homes, that energyRe would develop and operate. The two contracts between the companies will add more than 1 GW of clean capacity to the grid.
As the company ramps up its domestic data center presence, it will need more clean power than ever before. Google has made other recent investments in renewables. In December, for example, it joined a strategic partnership with TPG Rise Climate to help Intersect Power invest about $20 billion in clean power infrastructure, which will support new data center capacity.
These clean energy initiatives will help Google achieve its goal of net-zero emissions across its operations and value chain by the end of the decade. Amanda Peterson Corio, head of data center energy at Google, explained, “As we continue to progress towards our goal to operate every Google campus on clean electricity every hour of every day by 2030, we are always looking for opportunities to accelerate the delivery of new clean power to the grid.”
Photo Courtesy energyRe
Peterson Corio added, “Strengthening the grid by deploying more reliable and clean energy is crucial for supporting the digital infrastructure that businesses and individuals depend on. Our collaboration with energyRe will help power our data centers and the broader economic growth of South Carolina.”
EnergyRe CEO Miguel Prado said, “This agreement is a milestone in energyRe’s mission to develop innovative and impactful clean energy solutions for the future. We’re honored to partner with Google to help advance their ambitious sustainability and decarbonization objectives while delivering dependable, locally sourced clean energy to meet growing energy demands.”
EnergyRe has seen tremendous growth in recent years writ large. As of the end of last year, energyRe’s onshore utility-scale portfolio included 1,520 MW of solar projects and 398 megawatt-hours (MWh) of battery storage projects. The company is also developing 16 gigawatts (GW) of utility-scale renewables across the country, including onshore and offshore wind and transmission projects. In order to achieve this, the company is currently building more than 500 miles of transmission.
Photo Courtesy Intersect Power
The company has been heavily involved with solar energy in South Carolina. Some of its upcoming projects in the state include the B&K Solar project, the Culpepper Solar project, the Five Circles Solar project, the Juniper Solar project, the Rollins Solar project, the Ross Solar project, each of which will generate 75 MW of clean energy, power more than 12,000 homes, and avoid more than 50,000 metric tons of carbon emissions. The Shorthorn Solar project, meanwhile, will generate 60 MW of clean energy, power more than 10,000 homes, and avoid 38,000 metric tons of carbon emissions. Duke Energy has secured power purchase agreements for these projects in the state.
Meanwhile, the 66 MW, 198 MWh Lone Star Solar project is one of the biggest solar-and-storage facilities in the state and the southeast region. It represents a $200 million investment, which also qualified for Investment Tax Credits, capable of powering 17,000 homes and avoiding 140,000 metric tons of carbon emissions. The company estimates that it created 185 construction jobs and will generate over $10 million in property tax revenue over its useful life. Dominion Energy South Carolina entered a power purchase agreement for the project, and Synesqo bought all of the renewable energy certificates from it.
