Google's Henderson, Nevada Data Center to be Powered by a $1 Billion Solar Farm
Google’s new data center in Henderson, Nevada will be powered largely by a $1 billion solar farm. The project is one of the largest corporate solar deals signed in the US, and maybe the the world’s larges such deal once battery-backed storage is included. Expected to be completed in 2023, the farm will produce up to 690MW of electricity. 380MW of lithium-ion batter storage will also be on site.
The planned site consists of 7,100 acres of public land and is located about 33 miles northeast of Las Vegas and directly south of the Moapa River Indian Reservation. The project will supply NV energy, which signed a 25-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with developers Arevia Power and Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners. NV energy, a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Energy, will then supply google. Prudential is also apparently a financial supporter of the project.
The agreement also enables NV Energy to use excess solar power not needed by the data center, for which Google would receive credit. Pending approval, the utility has plans to use the solar and storage resources for summer peaking capacity.
Two additional solar farms will be located in the same region. NV Energy has received “overwhelming interest” from potential new commercial customers for renewal energy and storage projects. Over the past 12 months, the Nevada PUC has approved energy contracts involving NV Energy representing over $5 billion in direct investment into Nevada’s economy. NV Energy apparently has more solar in development that 37 states have already installed.
For more information:
https://ieefa.org/google-nv-energy-to-build-solar-plus-storage-facility-to-power-nevada-data-center/
Image: Data Center Dynamics