The project will support Meta's nearby data
center in Kuna, ID
SALT
LAKE CITY, May 18, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- rPlus
Energies, a national leader in the development of
utility-scale renewable energy projects, announced a long-term
power purchase agreement (PPA) with Idaho Power for a new
200-megawatt (MW) solar facility in Ada
County, Idaho. The project, named Pleasant Valley Solar, is
currently the largest contracted solar facility in the Idaho Power
system.
The project is expected to utilize many local vendors during
construction -- bringing significant revenue to the area, benefits
to local businesses, and approximately 220 construction related
jobs.
"The sunshine is plentiful in Idaho – and we at rPlus Energies are proud to
help the state achieve a commonsense approach to energy
independence and utilize the abundant energy source to its full
potential," said rPlus Energies President and CEO Luigi Resta. "The Pleasant Valley Solar project
will play a critical role in supplying reliable and resilient
renewable energy while also bringing strong economic growth and job
opportunities to the state."
The Pleasant Valley Solar project was awarded a PPA through a
negotiated process with Meta (formerly the Facebook company) and
Idaho Power. This PPA was made possible through the collaborative
efforts between Meta and Idaho Power to develop a special Energy
Services Agreement that will allow Meta access to renewables to
support its local operations. The project will deliver energy to
the Idaho Power system and contribute to Meta's goal to support
100% of its operations with renewable energy. Specifically, output
from the project will go into the same grid that supports Meta's
new data center in Kuna, ID.
"Meta is committed to minimizing our environmental footprint in
the communities where we live and work, and central to this goal is
creating, building and running energy-efficient data centers
supported by renewable energy," said Urvi
Parekh, head of renewable energy at Meta. "One of the core
factors in selecting Idaho for our
new data center location in 2022 was access to renewable energy,
and Meta is proud to partner with Idaho Power and rPlus Energies to
help bring even more renewable energy to the Treasure Valley
grid."
Pleasant Valley Solar will significantly increase the amount of
renewable energy on Idaho Power's system. The company is actively
moving toward its goal of providing 100% clean energy by 2045.
"This is an important milestone for Idaho Power," said Idaho
Power President and CEO Lisa Grow.
"Pleasant Valley will not only
become the largest solar project on our system, but it's also an
example of how our proposed Clean Energy Your Way program can help
us partner with customers to meet their own clean energy goals. We
look forward to working with Meta as the future of clean energy
takes shape in Idaho, including
Idaho Power's own goal to provide 100% clean energy to its
customers by 2045."
rPlus Energies has selected Sundt Renewables ("Sundt") to
provide engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) services
for Pleasant Valley Solar. Sundt has significant experience in the
region, including the rPlus-developed 80 MW Graphite Solar project
in Carbon County, UT that reached
commercial operation in June 2022 as
well as the 200 MW Appaloosa Solar 1 project currently under
construction in Iron County,
UT.
Pleasant Valley Solar is expected to start construction later
this year.
About rPlus Energies
rPlus is a team of committed energy industry professionals working
together to develop large-scale renewable energy generation and
electric storage projects in the United
States. rPlus specializes in bringing projects to market
through partnership with the private sector, municipalities,
utilities, and industry-leading technology and service providers.
Its portfolio consists of a strategic mix of solar, solar plus
battery, wind, and pumped storage hydro facilities. rPlus' projects
contribute to the economic and technological modernization of
America's energy systems. rPlus is headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah and operates as a
subsidiary of the Gardner Group.
About Idaho Power
Idaho Power, headquartered in vibrant and fast-growing Boise, Idaho, has been a locally operated
energy company since 1916. Today, it serves a 24,000-square-mile
area in Idaho and Oregon. The company's goal to provide 100%
clean energy by 2045 builds on its long history as a clean-energy
leader that provides reliable service at affordable prices. With 17
low-cost hydroelectric projects at the core of its diverse energy
mix, Idaho Power's residential, business and agricultural customers
pay among the nation's lowest prices for electricity. Its 2,000
employees proudly serve more than 620,000 customers with a culture
of safety first, integrity always and respect for all.
IDACORP Inc. (NYSE: IDA), Idaho Power's independent publicly
traded parent company, is also headquartered in Boise, Idaho. To learn more,
visit idahopower.com or idacorpinc.com.
For more information on rPlus Energies:
Maile Resta
Communications Associate, rPlus Energies
mresta@rplusenergies.com
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SOURCE Rplus Energies