A group of Oklahoma solar farms collectively generating a whopping 724 megawatts (MW) will power Google’s data center operations and artificial intelligence (AI) with long-term power purchase agreements.
Leeward Renewable Energy announced that the solar farms are strategically sited to support Google’s operations and bolster Oklahoma’s grid.
Construction has begun on the 372-MW Mayes County Solar Portfolio, located within a mile of Google’s data center in Pryor, Oklahoma, northeast of Tulsa. Together with the 152.5 MW Twelvemile Solar Project 1 & 2 and the 200 MW Twelvemile 3 Solar Project in southern Oklahoma, the projects total 724 MW of solar capacity.
The Mayes County Solar portfolio is capable of powering the equivalent of over 865,000 homes annually and avoiding over 3.7 million metric tons of CO2 emissions over the term of the power purchase agreement.
Leeward Renewable Energy purchased the Mayes County Solar Portfolio earlier this year from Red River Renewable Energy. The energy generated by the solar portfolio is delivered to Oklahoma’s largest utility, Grand River Dam Authority, which will power Google’s data center with clean energy.
The Mayes County Solar Portfolio includes three solar projects: 145 MW Salt Branch Solar, 125 MW Huckleberry Solar, and 102 MW Mayes Solar. Together, these projects will create over 300 construction jobs and generate an estimated $76 million in tax revenue for Mayes County over their lifespans – funds that will go toward essential county initiatives and schools. More than $60,000 has already been donated to local organizations like the Red Cross, the Chamber of Commerce, and other key services, giving an extra boost to community resources. They’re expected to come online by the end of the year.
“By partnering with Grand River Dam Authority and Leeward Renewable Energy, Google is furthering its ambition to power our facilities, including those in Oklahoma, with carbon-free energy around the clock by 2030,” said Amanda Peterson Corio, global head of data center energy at Google. “These power purchase agreements demonstrate how our scalable procurement approach is transforming the acquisition of clean energy and accelerating the development of carbon-free energy sources.“
In August 2024, research released by CBRE Group found that the amount of data center supply under construction in North America’s top markets jumped by about 70% year-over-year to a record 3.9 gigawatts of power, Reuters reported.
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