Amazon Strikes Deal To Power Oregon Data Centers With New Solar Project

Iberdrola Group’s Avangrid, Inc., a leading energy company, has signed an agreement with Amazon to produce power for its data centers through the new Oregon Trail Solar 57 MWdc (41 MWac) project in Gilliam County, Oregon. The project is expected to produce enough electricity to power approximately 10,000 US homes upon completion.

Oregon Trail Solar Project To Be Completed By 2027

Avangrid, Inc. has signed off on a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Amazon for energy to be produced by the new solar project, Oregon Trail Solar, which will supply renewable energy to Amazon’s data centers in the region.

Planned for Gilliam County, Oregon, the project is expected to produce 57 MWdc (approximately 41 MWac). The company operates 2.5 GW of capacity in Oregon and has a large corporate office in Portland. Its National Training Center is in neighboring Sherman County. The Gilliam County facility is expected to be operational by 2027.

Avangrid, Inc. has offices in Oregon, Connecticut, New York, Massachusetts, and Maine, with operations in 23 states.

Approximately $48 billion in assets support the company’s two primary business lines: networks and power. Avangrid owns and operates eight electric and natural gas utilities, serving more than 3.4 million customers in New York and New England.

Avangrid and Amazon also have agreements to generate power from several renewable energy projects in Illinois, Ohio, and North Carolina.

Avangrid’s 80 existing energy generation facilities across the US produce 10.5 GW of power for over 3.1 million customers. The company employs about 8,000 people and has a longstanding presence in the state, dating back to 2001.

Jose Antonio Miranda, Avangrid CEO, said, “This agreement reflects Amazon and Avangrid’s commitment to delivering reliable energy solutions that will help meet America’s growing energy needs and support the growth of critical infrastructure.”

As the second recent renewable energy PPA between Avangrid and Amazon in the Pacific Northwest, the Oregon Trail Solar project adds more electricity beyond the recent Leaning Juniper IIA repower project, also located in Gilliam County.

Oregon Trail Solar’s build is expected to generate 200 mostly local union labor jobs, and will utilize over 100,000 solar panels. One operational, operations at Oregon Trail Solar will also support several new full-time jobs in the community.

The project is expected to contribute $6 million in combined PILOTs (payment instead of taxes), as well as property taxes to Gilliam County over its lifespan. This will support a variety of public services, including schools and infrastructure.