Avangrid announces 119-megawatt repowering project in Oregon

Iberdrola’s US subsidiary, Avangrid, has announced the signing of a power purchase agreement (PPA) with Google for more than 100 megawatts (MW) of energy from the ‘Leaning Juniper IIB’ project. The project, located in Gilliam County, Oregon, will supply energy to Google’s data centres in nearby The Dalles.

Avangrid will repower its existing ‘Leaning Juniper IIB’ energy project, significantly upgrading the facility and replacing existing components with modern equipment. This will extend the project's life, while improving its efficiency and increasing energy production to feed electricity into the grid. Once completed, ‘Leaning Juniper IIB’ is expected to generate enough electricity to power approximately 31,000 US homes a year.

The Northern Wasco County Public Utility District will be responsible for delivering the energy from ‘Leaning Juniper IIB’ to Google’s data centres in The Dalles. Google opened its first self-owned and directly operated data centre in The Dalles in 2006 and has since expanded its presence. These data centres power Google Cloud, AI innovations and other digital products and services that people and organisations use every day, such as Search, Maps and Workspace.

The project involves an investment of nearly €170 million (£140M) in north-central Oregon. Construction will employ 150 people, most of them unionised workers in Oregon.

Avangrid has been part of the Gilliam County community for more than 15 years. The project is expected to generate approximately €17 million ($20M) in taxes over its lifetime, which will support a variety of public services, particularly in education. This includes a Strategic Investment Programme (SIP) agreement with Gilliam County that will provide Local Improvement Payments totalling €2.3 million ($2.8M) over the next decade.

‘Leaning Juniper IIB’ is a wind energy facility built in 2010. It has paid approximately €12.7 million ($15M) in property taxes since it began operating. Through Avangrid's community sponsorship programme, ‘Leaning Juniper II’ has also contributed to local libraries, preschools and fire departments.

Avangrid owns and operates approximately 2.5GW of energy generation capacity in Oregon. The company employs approximately 375 people in the state, supporting operations both on the ground and from its corporate office in Portland.

You can read the full story at the Avangrid Press Room.