These Missouri and Texas projects contribute to the growing portfolio between Meta and DESRI.
Renewable-energy producer D. E. Shaw Renewable Investments (DESRI) announced the signing two long-term power purchase agreements (PPAs) with Meta.
The projects include a 250 MW solar facility in Missouri and a 150 MW solar facility in Texas. Both facilities are sited in the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) territory and are expected to reach commercial operation before the end of 2027. DESRI said the company plans to be the long-term owner and operator of both projects.
The Missouri and Texas projects contribute to the growing portfolio between Meta and DESRI, which includes projects in Arkansas, Utah and Virginia.
DESRI and Meta’s 180 MW Cove Mountain Projects in Utah were part of a flurry of PPAs that Facebook signed in 2020 to run data centers on clean, renewable energy.
Meta is the top corporate solar user in the U.S. with nearly 5.2 GW of capacity, which is needed to run its energy-intensive data centers. For example, the company is an investor in the Eleven Mile Solar Center near Phoenix, Arizona. The 300 MW solar farm and 300 MW, 1200 MWh battery energy storage system have the capacity to produce enough energy to power businesses, homes, and Meta’s planned data center in Mesa, Arizona.
(Read: “Corporate America vastly increases investment in solar and storage”)
The 150 MW project in Texas initially began development in late 2016, targeting a region of the MISO power market that was experiencing sustained load growth from the greater Houston metro area. However, Aaron Zubaty, CEO of Eolian, said, “that suffered from limited options for transmission expansion.”
In 2022, DESRI purchased the development rights to the Texas Project from Acadian Renewable Energy, a joint venture between SunChase Power and Eolian, in 2022, and DESRI completed development of the project over the past three years.
“We’re thrilled to expand our collaboration with DESRI and advance another portfolio of renewable energy projects,” said Urvi Parekh, global head of energy at Meta. “These projects help support our goal to continue matching our electricity usage with 100% clean and renewable energy.”
