Weekly round-up of renewable energy PPA news (July 30 - Aug 5)

Power line in Brazil. Author: João André O. Dias License: Attribution-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic (CC BY-ND 2.0)

Here is a long list of stories about new power purchase agreements (PPAs) and tenders awarding such in Colombia, India and Brazil, covered by Renewables Now in the past week.

-- Alliant to ditch Iowa nuclear energy for wind power

Alliant Energy Corp (NYSE:LNT) has entered into an agreement with NextEra Energy Resources LLC that will lead to the retirement of Iowa’s only nuclear power plant in 2020 and the purchase of more wind power.

-- BBVA, Endesa sign wind PPA in Spain

Spain’s Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria SA (NYSE:BBVA), or BBVA, announced today it has signed a long-term PPA with Endesa SA (BME:ELE) that is tied to the construction of a wind farm in Spain.

-- Uttar Pradesh retenders 500 MW of grid-connected PV projects

The Uttar Pradesh New and Renewable Energy Development Agency (UPNEDA) has launched again a tender for 500 MW of solar projects that were part of a just-scrapped 1-GW auction.

-- Mercedes-Benz signs wind PPA in Poland

From 2019 a plant in Poland producing four-cylinder engines for Mercedes-Benz will run on wind power from a nearby park, under a long-term PPA announced on Tuesday.

-- Brazil sets price caps for Aug 31 auction

Brazil's power sector regulator Aneel approved today the price ceilings for the power generation auction scheduled for August 31, 2018.

-- Pattern Development signs PPAs for 200-MW wind project in New Mexico

Pattern Energy Group 2 LP, or Pattern Development, has inked PPAs with public agencies for its 200-MW Duran Mesa Wind project in New Mexico.

-- Odisha's 200-MW solar tender attracts surprisingly low bids - report

A solar auction for 200 MW of grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) capacity in the Indian state of Odisha has lured bids of between INR 2.79 and INR 3.20 per kWh, the Economic Times reports.

-- Brazil schedules 2 auctions for December 7

Brazil's Ministry of Mines and Energy announced it will be holding two energy auctions on December 7, this time to contract energy from existing facilities.

-- Vineyard Wind's contracts priced at USD 65/MWh 2017 dollars

The 800-MW Vineyard Wind offshore wind project will provide "highly cost-effective" clean energy to Massachusetts customers, the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER) said on Wednesday as it announced that the long-term contracts for the project have been filed for approval.

-- Lincoln Energy, Smucker ink 60-MW wind PPA

US wind and solar developer Lincoln Clean Energy (LCE) will sell electricity from a 230-MW wind farm in Nebraska to food and beverage producer The JM Smucker Co (NYSE:SJM).

-- EDPR wind farm in India to sell power to Facebook

Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) has signed a 15-year PPA with the North American unit of EDP Renewables SA (EPA:EDPR) for a portion of the 200-MW Headwaters II wind farm in Indiana.

-- Novartis strikes 100-MW wind VPPA with Invenergy

August 2