Latest news with #windpower
TechCrunch
a day ago
- Business
- TechCrunch
Meta buys over 1 GW of renewables to power its data centers
Meta bolstered its already considerable renewable power portfolio this week with string of deals that added over 1 gigawatt of generating capacity. The social media company announced Thursday that it will buy 791 megawatts of solar and wind power in Ohio, Arkansas, and Texas from project developer Invenergy. And on Wednesday, Meta said that it would buy the environmental attributes from two of Adapture Rnewables' solar farms in Texas totaling 360 megawatts. The various projects are expected to come online in 2027 and 2028. Meta has been on a renewable buying spree. Last month, it signed a deal to buy 650 megawatts across two solar projects being built by AES, a utility and power generation company. Earlier this month, the tech company inked a deal with XGS Energy to build a 150-megawatt enhanced geothermal power plant in New Mexico. The deals give renewables a boost at a time when subsidies for the technologies are being targeted for elimination in the reconciliation bills being hashed out by House and Senate Republicans. Solar power, in particular, is the fastest way for data centers to acquire new power today. A typical solar farm can be completed in about 18 months, with phased construction allowing some providing electrons even sooner than that.
Times
2 days ago
- Business
- Times
Ed Miliband pulls plug on Sahara sun and wind project
The government has pulled the plug on a £24 billion plan to bring Moroccan wind and solar power to Britain via the world's longest subsea electricity cable, citing concerns over security and costs. Xlinks, chaired by the former Tesco boss Sir Dave Lewis, has been seeking a government contract committing UK consumers to buy electricity from the ambitious project at a fixed, subsidised price for 25 years. Ed Miliband's Department for Energy Security and Net Zero has now 'concluded that it is not in the UK national interest' to continue talks over the project, citing the myriad risks involved, as well as its mission 'to build homegrown power here in the UK'. • Sir Dave Lewis explains how Xlinks will solve the energy crisis Lewis said Xlinks was 'hugely surprised and bitterly disappointed' by the decision and would work to 'unlock the potential of the project and maximise its value for all parties in a different way.' It is understood to be exploring whether it can make the project financeable by striking deals with private companies to buy its power. Xlinks's plans involve building a vast solar, wind and battery storage facility covering 1,500 square miles of the Sahara desert in Morocco, and laying high voltage direct current cables to connect it to the UK power grid in Devon. It claims the project could be completed by the early 2030s and provide 3.6 gigawatts of reliable clean power for 19 hours a day, enough to supply 7 million homes or meet 8 per cent of Britain's electricity needs. The government said: 'This would be a first-of-a-kind mega project which has a high level of inherent, cumulative risk, delivery, operational, and security. We acknowledge the excellent work of Xlinks on trying to mitigate these risks where possible but nevertheless, this remains a factor in decision-making.' The Morocco-UK power link plan was hatched in 2019 by the entrepreneur Simon Morrish and unveiled in 2022 with an estimated price tag of £16 billion. That has since soared to between £22 billion and £24 billion. The contract price Xlinks was seeking for its power also soared, from £48/MWh in 2022 to £70-80/MWh today, all expressed in 2012 prices, akin to the contract for the Hinkley Point C nuclear plant, which was set at £92.50/MWh in 2012 prices. The government said it had determined that there were 'stronger alternative options that we should focus our attention on to meet the government's plans to decarbonise the power sector and accelerate to net zero at least risk to billpayers and taxpayers'. Xlinks has raised and spent £100 million on developing the project. It is backed by big name investors including Abu Dhabi's Taqa, Britain's largest household energy supplier Octopus Energy and the French oil and gas group TotalEnergies. Lewis said that the project offered 'a highly competitive' contract price and claimed it would reduce wholesale electricity prices in the UK by more than 9 per cent in its first year of operation and 'increase energy security through increased diversity of supply and reduced reliance on imported gas'. The government said it believed that 'domestic alternatives can see greater economic benefits whether that be through jobs or supply chains'. Xlinks hoped to source some of its cable from a sister project to build a new cabling factory in Scotland, but the majority would have come from Asia.
CTV News
2 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
Meta signs deals to source more solar, wind power for data centres
Wind turbines are seen on Tuesday, April 1, 2025, in Boardman, Ore. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane) Renewable energy developer Invenergy and social media giant Meta Platforms have signed four deals to supply 791 megawatts (MW) more of solar and wind power to operate data centres, the companies said on Thursday. This is the latest in a string of deals by Meta to meet the surging power demand of its data centres needed for artificial intelligence technologies using clean energy. Last year, Meta had signed four contracts with the Chicago-based Invenergy for 760 MW of solar electricity. Invenergy said Thursday's deals bring the companies' total partnership to 1,800 MW. Meta has previously announced deals with several large solar projects, a geothermal startup, and is also seeking proposals from nuclear power developers. The electricity from Invenergy's solar and wind projects in Ohio, Arkansas and Texas will be delivered to the local grid, while Meta will receive the clean energy credits associated with the new generation capacity coming online, the energy company said. The companies did not disclose the financial details of the deals. Reporting by Pooja Menon in Bengaluru; Editing by Tasim Zahid and Sahal Muhammed, Reuters
Zawya
2 days ago
- Business
- Zawya
Meta signs deals to source more solar, wind power for data centers
Renewable energy developer Invenergy and social media giant Meta Platforms have signed four deals to supply 791 megawatts (MW) more of solar and wind power to operate data centers, the companies said on Thursday. This is the latest in a string of deals by Meta to meet the surging power demand of its data centers needed for artificial intelligence technologies using clean energy. Last year, Meta had signed four contracts with the Chicago-based Invenergy for 760 MW of solar electricity. Invenergy said Thursday's deals bring the companies' total partnership to 1,800 MW. Meta has previously announced deals with several large solar projects, a geothermal startup, and is also seeking proposals from nuclear power developers. The electricity from Invenergy's solar and wind projects in Ohio, Arkansas and Texas will be delivered to the local grid, while Meta will receive the clean energy credits associated with the new generation capacity coming online, the energy company said. The companies did not disclose the financial details of the deals. (Reporting by Pooja Menon in Bengaluru; Editing by Tasim Zahid and Sahal Muhammed)
Asharq Al-Awsat
2 days ago
- Business
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Meta Signs Deals to Source More Solar, Wind Power for Data Centers
Renewable energy developer Invenergy and social media giant Meta Platforms have signed four deals to supply 791 megawatts (MW) more of solar and wind power to operate data centers, the companies said on Thursday. This is the latest in a string of deals by Meta to meet the surging power demand of its data centers needed for artificial intelligence technologies using clean energy, Reuters reported. Last year, Meta had signed four contracts with the Chicago-based Invenergy for 760 MW of solar electricity. Invenergy said Thursday's deals bring the companies' total partnership to 1,800 MW. Meta has previously announced deals with several large solar projects, a geothermal startup, and is also seeking proposals from nuclear power developers. The electricity from Invenergy's solar and wind projects in Ohio, Arkansas and Texas will be delivered to the local grid, while Meta will receive the clean energy credits associated with the new generation capacity coming online, the energy company said. The companies did not disclose the financial details of the deals.
