REDMOND, Wash., March 21, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Microsoft
Corp. announced on Wednesday the purchase of 315 MW of energy from
Pleinmont I and II, two new solar projects in the commonwealth of
Virginia. This represents the
single largest corporate purchase of solar energy ever in
the United States. This will
enable Microsoft to make significant progress toward its goal of
reaching 60 percent by early 2020. The Pleinmont projects are part
of a larger 500-MW solar development, owned and operated by sPower,
an AES and AIMCo company.
"Today, we're signing the largest corporate solar agreement in
the United States, a 315 megawatt
project in Virginia that will move
us ahead of schedule in creating a cleaner cloud," said
Brad Smith, president, Microsoft.
"This project means more than just gigawatts, because our
commitment is broader than transforming our own operations; it's
also about helping others access more renewable energy."
The project is owned and will be operated by sPower, a leading
independent renewable energy power producer based in Salt Lake City, Utah. Once operational,
Pleinmont I and II will consist of more than 750,000 solar panels
spread across more than 2,000 acres, and produce approximately
715,000 MWh a year.
"Microsoft's participation is a game-changer for this project
and for other buyers," said Ryan
Creamer, CEO of sPower. "Their early commitment helped
ensure that the project continued to move forward and come to
fruition at a time of regulatory uncertainty. Microsoft's large
off-take also helped us offer very cost-competitive options for
other buyers looking at our Virginia portfolios. This model broadens the
ability for buyers of all sizes to participate in a large project
like this, yet only take the megawatts they need for their business
goals. We're proud to be working with Microsoft on this innovative
approach."
At 500 MW, the full project will be the largest solar project in
Virginia and is equal to the
entire amount of solar power currently produced in the
commonwealth. It will also rank as the fifth largest solar project
in the country. Microsoft has a sizeable presence in Virginia, both in terms of its physical
presence in the form of datacenters and office buildings and its
work to bring connectivity to all citizens in the form of broadband
technology. This is its second solar power purchase in Virginia.
"Today's announcement demonstrates that Virginia is quickly becoming a global leader
in the clean energy industry," said Governor Ralph Northam. "When companies like Microsoft
invest in Virginia solar, they opt
for clean and reliable energy as well as new jobs in the energy
economy we are working hard to build. I am proud that Microsoft is
expanding its commitment to solar energy in Virginia, and I look forward to building upon
this victory for clean energy and the jobs that come with it."
This deal also represents two milestones for the company. With
recent deals, Microsoft has met its target to power at least 50
percent of its datacenters with clean energy by 2018. This deal
marks the first step toward its next goal of achieving 60 percent
by early 2020. The size of the deal also puts Microsoft's total of
directly purchased renewable energy at roughly 1.2 gigawatts —
enough power to send Marty McFly
back in time in a DeLorean.
Microsoft (Nasdaq "MSFT" @microsoft) is the leading platform and
productivity company for the mobile-first, cloud-first world, and
its mission is to empower every person and every organization on
the planet to achieve more.
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SOURCE Microsoft Corp.