Microsoft has signed two 200-megawatt (MW) power purchase agreements (PPAs) with Leeward Renewable Energy (LRE) to acquire clean electricity from two solar plants under development in Texas, as reported by ESG Today on March 28. The two solar power projects, each 200MW, include the Morrow Lake Solar in Frio County, set for completion by the fourth quarter of 2024, and Cradle Solar in Brazoria County, scheduled to commenceoperation by the fourth quarter of 2025. These projects will adopt ultra-low carbon, thin-film photovoltaic solar modules produced by First Solar [FSLR:US], a leading American manufacturer of solar panels. LRE has an extensive clean energy portfolio comprising 31 wind, solar, and energy storage facilities across the US. It also signed PPAs with Amazon [AMZN:US], Verizon [VZ:US], and Digital Realty [DLR:US].

The new PPA represents the latest in an array of renewable energy deals sealed by Microsoft. Over the past year, Microsoft has inked PPAs to purchase renewable power across multiple locations, including Texas, Virginia, Washington, Japan, Australia, Brazil, and New Zealand. These initiatives align with the company’s efforts to decarbonize its carbon-intensive data centers worldwide. Microsoft has committed to using 100% renewable power in its buildings and data centers globally by 2025. This sets the stage for the tech giant’s more ambitious objective to realize carbon negative by 2030.

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Microsoft Signs 400 MW Renewable Energy Purchase Deals from New Texas Solar Projects

https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/news/microsoft-signs-400mw-solar-ppa-in-texas/