RWE signs two 15-years PPA with Microsoft to supply clean energy – EQ
In Short – RWE and Microsoft ink two 15-year PPAs, committing to supplying clean energy. This partnership signifies a pivotal step towards sustainable energy solutions, fostering environmental stewardship while meeting growing energy demands.
In Details – RWE, a leading renewable energy company, has signed two 15-years Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) with Microsoft Corporation. Under the PPAs, Microsoft will purchase clean electricity from two new RWE onshore wind farms in Texas. The groundbreaking for the RWE Peyton Creek II onshore wind farm has taken place and for the Lane City project. The two onshore wind projects have a combined capacity of 446 megawatts (MW). Andrew Flanagan, CEO of RWE Clean Energy, said: “As RWE, we are excited to be working with Microsoft to provide the clean electricity they need to achieve their sustainability goals.”
RWE says it has brought together leading renewable industry companies Vestas, Wanzek Construction, a MasTec Renewables company, and RES, a global renewable energy solutions company, to build the Peyton Creek II and Lane City onshore wind farms. RWE will use the V163 4.5 MW turbines from Vestas North America. RWE has enlisted Wanzek and RES to lead construction activities at Peyton Creek II and Lane City on behalf of RWE. Construction of the Peyton Creek Wind Complex is underway. The 243 MW project is located near RWE’s Peyton Creek I wind farm in Bay City, Texas, which has been in operation since March 2020. Construction of the Lane City project will start this summer. It has a capacity of 203 MW.
Texas is RWE’s largest U.S. market, with 33 operational renewable projects totaling 4.3 GW of installed capacity, enough to power 2.76 million homes per year. RWE’s renewables footprint in Texas will grow to 4.8 GW, strengthening its position in this section of the ERCOT market. This will add to RWE’s current renewables portfolio in the U.S. of 9.3 GW across wind, solar and batteries. Both Peyton Creek II and Lane City are expected to generate between 250-300 jobs each during construction and 20 full-time jobs once operational. Additionally, Peyton Creek II will provide approximately $300 million to the local tax base in Matagorda County and Lane City will provide $300 million to the local tax base in Wharton County, RWE said.
