Leeward Renewable Energy (LRE) is moving forward with over 700 megawatts (MW) of new solar capacity in Oklahoma, backed by long-term power purchase agreements (PPAs) with Google. These solar projects are strategically located to support Google's data center operations and its activities related to artificial intelligence (AI).
Construction has already begun on the 372MW Mayes County Solar Portfolio, located just one mile from Google's data center in Pryor, Oklahoma. The Mayes County project, along with the Twelvemile Solar Project 1&2 (152.5MW) and Twelvemile 3 Solar Project (200MW) in southern Oklahoma, will contribute a total of 724MW of solar energy to the state.
LRE acquired the Mayes County solar portfolio from Red River Renewable Energy, a joint venture between SunChase Power and Eolian. The energy generated by these solar projects will be transmitted under firm transmission service to the Grand River Dam Authority (GRDA), which plans to use it to support operations at Google's nearby data center.
The Mayes County Solar Portfolio consists of three projects: Salt Branch Solar (145MW), Huckleberry Solar (125MW), and Mayes Solar (102MW). Once completed, the projects are expected to create over 300 construction jobs and generate an estimated $76 million in tax revenue for Mayes County over their lifespan, benefiting local schools and county initiatives. Additionally, over $60,000 has been donated to the local Red Cross, the Chamber of Commerce, and other community services.
The PPAs were facilitated through LEAP, an initiative co-developed by Google and LevelTen Energy, designed to streamline the process of sourcing and executing clean energy PPAs. This aligns with Google's goal to run on 24/7 carbon-free energy at all of its facilities by 2030.
Eran Mahrer, LRE's Chief Commercial Officer, expressed pride in the company's growing presence in Oklahoma: “We are proud to expand our presence in Oklahoma with these projects which are ideally located to support Google's data center operations. This partnership with Google not only strengthens our collaboration but also contributes to the reliability of Oklahoma's electric grid and helps advance national energy independence.
Amanda Peterson Corio, Global Head of Data Center Energy at Google, emphasized the importance of the collaboration: “By partnering with Grand River Dam Authority (GRDA) and LRE, Google is furthering its ambition to power our facilities, including those in Oklahoma, with carbon-free energy around the clock by 2030. 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.
