EDP Renewables North America (EDPR NA) and Volt Energy Utility announced a 110 MW solar project in Illinois, sponsored by software giant Microsoft Corp. The partnership is commencing the development of Hickory Solar Park near Jerseyville, Illinois. Microsoft and Volt Energy have designed an environmental justice power purchase agreement (EJ PPA) form, which will be used in the agreement to purchase power and renewable energy credits (RECs) from the project for a period of 15 years. Volt Energy is a minority-owned renewable energy developer that engages in both urban and rural areas affected by environmental injustice.
Additionally, EDP Renovaveis SA, a division of Energias de Portugal SA (EDP), has pledged to assign significant leadership positions in project management and construction to women- and minority-owned businesses for Hickory. The agreement expands on the partnership between Microsoft and EDPR NA, which was initiated in 2019 when Microsoft signed on as an offtaker for the 125 MW Ohio Timber Road IV wind farm. According to the statement, in addition to Hickory, Microsoft also recently signed PPAs at EDPR’s 140 MW Wolf Run solar park in Illinois and 150 MW Cattlemen solar park II in Texas.
In January 2024, EDPR NA and EDP Renewables Canada (EDPR Canada) started operations at the 297 MW Sharp Hills wind farm in Sedalia and New Bridgen in Alberta, Canada. The power will be supplied to TC Energy, a Calgary-based company that operates in natural gas, oil, and power. The launch of the Sharp Hills wind farm follows a memorandum of understanding between EDPR NA and the Invest Alberta Corporation. A C$600 million investment was made to build the wind farm.
