Apex to supply Google from new North Carolina wind farm
Apex to supply Google from new North Carolina wind farm | Windpower Monthly
Apex Clean Energy has signed a power purchase agreement to supply all of the electricity generated by its 189MW Timbermill wind project to Google.
Construction on the project began last May and is expected to continue into late 2024 with commercial operations beginning by early 2025.
The deal – the first between the two firms – will help Google meet its commitment to power its operations with carbon-free energy by 2030 by supplying clean energy to its data centres linked to the eastern US's PJM grid.
“We're excited to work with Apex for the first time to not only add wind power to one of the most difficult grids to decarbonise, but also bring additional clean energy jobs to North Carolina,” said Google’s senior lead on energy, Donna Calderon.
Earlier this year, the Natural Resource Defense Council environmental advocacy group warned that PJM delays on reviewing and approving transmission connections for renewables projects were endangering the area’s clean energy targets.
The Timbermill project is due to be North Carolina’s second onshore wind farm.
Related Knowledge Center: ENERGY BASICS: wind
Decades of government support for the development of wind energy has resulted in lower costs and a rapidly growing share of electricity generated by wind turbines. Wind in 2019 accounted for 7.3 percent of electrical generation, surpassing for the first time hydropower at 7.0 percent.