In Southern Illinois, EDPR NA commissioned the 140 MW Wolf Run Solar Project (Wolf Run) near Jacksonville and the 110 MW Hickory Solar Project (Hickory) near Jerseyville in November last year. The 150 MW Cattlemen II Solar Project (Cattlemen II) located near Austin, Texas, came online in December.
EDPR NA developed Hickory and Microsoft agreed to purchase electricity and RECs. Hickory uses an Environmental Justice PPA (EJ PPA) developed by Microsoft and Volt Energy Utility, LLC (Volt Energy Utility), a minority-owned renewable energy developer focused on making clean energy investments in rural and urban communities disproportionately impacted by pollution and vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.
With the EJ PPA, Hickory will contribute funding to enable Sharing the Power Foundation to offer financial assistance to organisations and causes that ensure equal access to clean air, water, and renewable energy, as well as offer availability to energy assistance programmes; and opportunities to pursue workforce training in clean energy careers.
Wolf Run and Hickory have contributed $4.8 million to landowners, who lease a portion of their land to the projects, and millions of dollars to local governments through tax payments, ensuring critical services, schools, road maintenance, and other local initiatives are well-funded. The two Illinois projects created 500 construction jobs and 5 permanent jobs.
Cattlemen II in Texas will also contribute millions in taxes, benefiting the local school district and local government. The project created approximately 300 construction jobs and will support several permanent jobs in the area.
“The importance of ensuring benefits flowing from renewable energy development directly into communities has never been more important” said Sandhya Ganapathy, CEO, EDP Renewables North America. “Through these three additional projects, we’re keeping our promise – and indeed the industry’s promise – to contribute to the nation’s growing energy demand and in that process invest in long-lasting economic growth of our communities.”
The operations of these three projects will continue to increase local spending, often seen by service providers, restaurants, hotels, and other retailers near the project communities, with more than $10.4 million spent to date during construction.
“It’s exciting when projects achieve commercial operations and begin generating clean energy in support of grid decarbonisation” added Kourtney Nelson, Senior Director of Renewable Energy Procurement, Microsoft. “We’re pleased with EDPR NA and Volt Energy Utility’s collaboration on Hickory and the positive impact the project will have with community grants and investing in future renewable energy leaders.”
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