US solar and wind contract prices rose sharply in first quarter

April 14 (Reuters) — U.S. solar and wind contract prices rose sharply in the ‌first quarter as project developers faced ‌tariffs, labor shortages and permitting challenges amid soaring demand ​for power from data centers, according to a report published on Tuesday.

* Prices for solar power purchase agreements, contractsknown as PPAs, ‌were up 13% ⁠from the first quarter of last year,and wind PPAs were nearly 24% ⁠higher, according to data fromLevelTen Energy, an online hub for renewable energy sellers andcorporate ​buyers. * Wind ​projects faced tough ​scrutiny from the ‌Trumpadministration for federal permits, particularly from theFederal Aviation Administration, the report said. * Solar projects are being hit with higher costs andpermitting constraints, but are in high demand from customersbecause ‌they can be brought ​online quickly to serve ​data centerneeds. * Large ​corporate buyers in need of ‌power account for mostrenewable ​energy demand. * Smaller ​corporate buyers that enter contracts to meetclimate change goals have slowed their procurement ​due to ‌higherprices and pending changes to greenhouse ​gas reporting rules.

(Reporting by Nichola Groom; ​Editing by Jamie Freed)