UPDATE - Invenergy joins Pacific Power in 100-MW Facebook solar deal

US social networking major Facebook (NASDAQ:FB) will buy electricity from 100 MW of Invenergy LLC’s solar projects as part of a plan to use 100% renewable power for its Prineville data centre in Oregon.

Invenergy on Thursday unveiled an agreement to deliver solar power from its new 55-MW Prineville and 45-MW Millican photovoltaic (PV) projects in Crook County, expected to go live at the end of 2020. The deal supports a larger agreement with utility Pacific Power to match 100% of Facebook’s electricity use at the data centre with renewable energy.

As announced on Wednesday, the social networking giant and Pacific Power, a subsidiary of PacifiCorp, agreed to add 437 MW of solar capacity to power the Prineville data centre. The move is part of Facebook’s long-term sustainability programme and is in line with its target of sourcing at least 50% of the power it consumes from clean and renewable energy sources in 2018.

Invenergy noted it has contracted over 745 MW of renewable energy capacity so far in 2018 with corporate clients globally, including pharmaceutical company Merck & Co Inc (NYSE:MRK) and baking company Grupo Bimbo. Since 2015, it has sealed power purchase agreements (PPAs) with 12 companies for more than 1,540 MW of renewable energy capacity.

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