Iberdrola Group subsidiary Avangrid has completed construction of the Tower Solar project in Morrow County, Oregon, US, and connected it to the local power grid.
The solar energy facility, which has a generation capacity of 166MW-direct current (120MW-alternating current), is expected to begin commercial operations later this summer.
The Tower Solar project uses more than 250,000 solar panels manufactured by SEG Solar at its facility in Houston, Texas.
After commissioning, the facility will supply renewable energy to Portland General Electric (PGE) and will also support QTS data centre operations in the region.
Avangrid said that the plant’s completion comes amid rising electricity demand in the US, particularly in the Pacific Northwest.
Avangrid CEO Jose Antonio Miranda said: “As demand for electricity continues to grow across the US and in the Pacific Northwest, projects like Tower Solar are essential to delivering new generation at scale.
“Furthermore, this project demonstrates how investment in America’s electrical infrastructure contributes to our domestic economy, supports union workers and delivers reliable electricity to support the region’s growth.”
Located west of Boardman on approximately 900 acres zoned for industrial use and owned by the Port of Morrow, the construction of Tower Solar generated around 200 jobs, most of which went to regional union workers.
SEG Solar CEO Jim Wood said: “As a leading American solar manufacturer, SEG Solar is proud to support Tower Solar with high-performance, US-manufactured modules. This project aligns with our mission to strengthen the domestic energy supply chain.
“By providing fully compliant, traceable and reliable solar solutions, we are meeting energy demands while driving American manufacturing and creating local jobs.”
The project is expected to contribute roughly $20m in combined payments in lieu of taxes and property taxes.
Electricity from the site will enter PGE’s grid via the Green Future Impact programme. This voluntary initiative allows municipal, commercial and industrial users to select renewable power sources, supporting the creation of new clean energy installations in the region.
Avangrid manages more than 11GW of capacity through nearly 100 energy projects across 25 states.
Last month, Avangrid entered into a power purchase agreement with Puget Sound Energy for the 199.5MW Big Horn I wind project in Klickitat County, Washington.
