Avangrid to Develop Oregon’s Largest Solar Farm; Inks 15 Yr PPA with PGE

Oregon-based fortune 1,000 public utility Portland General Electric (PGE) has entered into a power purchase agreement (PPA) with Avangrid Renewables, an arm of Avangrid Inc., to buy electricity generated through solar power.

As per the 15 year deal, the company will purchase power generated from a new 162 MW solar facility. Avangrid Renewables will develop and own the project, which is largest in Oregon.

Through this deal, PGE aimed to increase the amount of clean energy in it’s system and creating a tangible connection between participating customers and their energy resource.

Further, this will be Avangrid Renewables’ 11th renewable energy project in Oregon and will be built on 1,200 privately owned acres in Gilliam County.

However, the construction of the project is expected to begin in late 2020 or early 2021.

At its peak, construction will generate approx 300 jobs in partnership with local unions.

Moreover, the solar facility is expected to commence operation in late 2021, and will produce enough power to serve the equivalent of about 40,000 homes.

It will also generate an estimated USD 1.3 million of taxes and property owner lease payments per year, benefitting the local economy for years to come.

Commenting on the development, Alejandro de Hoz, president and CEO of Avangrid Renewables, said “we value the opportunity to partner with PGE to build the largest solar facility in Oregon.”

“Given our company’s long history in the Pacific Northwest, we are proud to play a key role in delivering more renewable electricity to forward-thinking commercial energy customers,” Hoz added.

The new facility will supply power and the accompanying renewable energy credits to PGE’s Green Future Impact customers, and will help them in sourcing up to 100 percent of their energy from local renewable energy resource that they’ve helped make possible.

Green Future Impact is a voluntary renewable energy program that PGE introduced to give large businesses and municipalities more ways to meet their ambitious sustainability goals and strengthen the local clean energy industry.