Renewable energy developer Leeward Renewable Energy (LRE) plans to install more than 700 MW of renewable energy projects in Oklahoma, supported in part by long-term power purchase agreements (PPAs) with Google.
The projects, strategically sited to support Google’s data center operations and artificial intelligence (AI) training work, will strengthen the reliability of Oklahoma’s electric grid by adding renewable capacity to improve stability and diversify the energy mix as well as support national energy independence.
Construction has begun on the 372-MW Mayes County solar portfolio, located within one mile from Google’s data center in Pryor, Oklahoma. Along with the Twelvemile Solar Project 1 & 2 (152.5 MW) and the Twelvemile 3 Solar Project (200 MW) located in Southern Oklahoma, the projects total 724 MW of solar capacity in Oklahoma.
LRE purchased the Mayes County Solar Portfolio from Red River Renewable Energy, a joint venture between SunChase Power and Eolian. The energy generated by the solar portfolio is delivered under firm transmission service to the Grand River Dam Authority (GRDA), which plans to utilize the clean energy produced by the projects to support operations at Google’s data center.
The solar portfolio consists of three projects: Salt Branch Solar (145 MW), Huckleberry Solar (125 MW), and Mayes Solar (102 MW). The projects will create over 300 construction jobs and contribute an estimated $76 million in tax revenue to Mayes County over their lifespan.
The solar portfolio should be capable of powering the equivalent of over 865,000 homes per year and avoid over 3.7 million metric tons of CO2 emissions over the term of the PPA.
While the funding will support county initiatives and schools, over $60,000 have been donated to the local Red Cross, the Chamber of Commerce, and other essential services to boost community resources.
The power purchase agreements were facilitated through LEAP (LevelTen Energy’s Accelerated Process), which was co-developed by Google and LevelTen Energy to make sourcing and executing clean energy PPAs more efficient. They contribute to Google’s target of operating on 24/7 carbon-free energy (CFE) on every grid where it operates by 2030.
