Commercial, Distributed Generation, Solar, Sourcing Renewables - March 17, 2016
Microsoft announces public-private partnership to build 20-MW solar project
Microsoft, the Commonwealth of Virginia and Dominion Virginia Power have entered into an agreement under which Dominion will construct a 20-MW solar project.
Microsoft will claim the renewable energy certificates and Virginia will purchase the power for delivery to state agencies. This deal differs from other recent Microsoft renewable energy agreements that involved purchasing power directly from wind farms to service proximate data centers.
"This project will support the growth of renewable energy in Virginia while allowing Microsoft to claim the green attributes of a brand new solar project constructed by Dominion. We'll then be retiring these green attributes to maximize the positive environmental impact overall," Microsoft’s Rob Bernard wrote in a post announcing the deal.
The company is framing the deal as a way to broadly support incremental renewable energy generation and suggests we could see similar arrangements going forward.
"Through these kinds of partnerships with states and utilities, Microsoft can provide the long-term certainty needed to expand the amount of renewable energy available on the grid. We are excited that through this project we have created a viable new public-private partnership model for the company and look forward to expanding on this new approach," Bernard wrote.
Photo credit: Ken Wolter / Shutterstock.com
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