The German energy company RWE AG has secured agreements to provide green electricity to Meta Platforms Inc. from 374 MW of solar parks in the United States.
Meta to Buy Power from Two New Projects
The owner of Facebook will secure solar deal through two long-term power purchase agreements (PPAs) associated with two projects of the Essen-based company.
Meta secures solar power deals with RWE for 274-MW in Illinois and 100-MW in Louisiana, set to be operational by late 2025.
Under one of the off-take agreements, Meta will receive power from RWE’s 274-MW County Run solar project located in Illinois' Clark, Coles and Cumberland counties. The other agreement will supply electricity from the 100-MW Lafitte project in Louisiana. Both photovoltaic (PV) plants are currently under construction and are expected to be operational by late 2025.
RWE's Power Supports Meta's 100% Renewable Goal
The clean power produced by RWE will help Meta achieve its goal of running its operations on 100% renewable energy. Meta is among the largest corporate purchasers of renewable energy.
“Partnering with renewable energy providers like RWE to bring new solar energy projects online is an important part of our approach to energy procurement. We are excited to scale our renewable energy contracts and this collaboration is an important demonstration of those efforts and our commitment to match 100% of the electricity use of our data centres and offices with renewable energy,” said Urvi Parekh, Head of Renewable Energy at Meta.
“RWE’s continued investment in the U.S. renewables market is underpinned by new opportunities to partner with leading technology companies like Meta, which are driving demand for clean energy to support their operations. Today, we can meet this moment and generate impact with our rapidly scaling U.S. renewables platform to drive decarbonization across all industries, while fueling economic growth and job creation in those communities where we own and operate these facilities,” said Andrew Flanagan, CEO of RWE Clean Energy
RWE's Solar to Boost Illinois Capacity and Local Economy
County Run Solar in Clark, Coles and Cumberland counties are RWE’s largest utility-scale solar projects currently under construction in Illinois. This project follows RWE’s existing 605 megawatts (MW) of onshore wind capacity in the state. Once operational, County Run Solar together with the newly announced 150 MWac Casey Fork Solar will boost RWE’s total installed capacity in Illinois to over 1 GW sufficient to power around 800,000 homes and businesses each year.
The solar deal also is expected to create approximately 400 jobs during peak construction with Blattner Energy, LLC hired to oversee the build. Upon completion, County Run Solar is projected to generate $30 million in property tax revenues for Clark, Cumberland and Coles counties. Additionally, it will contribute about $65,000 to local initiatives such as the Lowery Blue Collar Scholarship, local ambulance services and the 4-H chapter.
RWE is a leading renewable energy company in the United States, with over 15 years of experience in the U.S. renewables sector. The company boasts a strong track record in developing, constructing and operating renewable energy facilities. With a dedicated team of around 2,000 professionals in the U.S., RWE is committed to advancing the clean energy transition in North America.