Avangrid announces 119-megawatt repowering project in Oregon
It will supply power to the existing Leaning Juniper IIB project in Gilliam County, Oregon, increasing output and extending the life of the US facility. The project will provide more than 100 MW to support Google's data centre operations in The Dalles.
Iberdrola's US subsidiary Avangrid has announced the signing of a power purchase agreement (PPA) with Google for more than 100 megawatts (MW) of power from the Leaning Juniper IIB project. The project, located in Gilliam County, Oregon, will supply power to Google's data centres in The Dalles, nearby.
Avangrid will repower its existing Leaning Juniper IIB power project, significantly upgrade the facility and replace existing components with modern equipment. This extends the life of the project, while improving its efficiency and increasing energy production to deliver electricity to the grid. Once completed, Leaning Juniper IIB is expected to generate enough electricity to power approximately 31,000 US homes per year.
The Town of Northern Wasco County Public Utility District will be responsible for delivering power from Leaning Juniper IIB to Google's data centres in The Dalles. Google opened its first owned and operated data centre in The Dalles in 2006 and has since expanded its presence. Google's data centres power Google Cloud, innovations in AI and other digital products and services that people and organisations use every day, such as Search, Maps and Workspace.
The project represents an investment of €170 million in north-central Oregon. The construction will employ 150 people, most of them with unionised labour in Oregon.
Avangrid has been part of the Gilliam County community for more than 15 years. The project is expected to generate about 17 million euros in taxes over its lifetime, which will support a variety of public services, especially in education. This includes a Strategic Investment Programme agreement with Gilliam County that will provide Local Improvement Payments totalling €2.3 million over the next decade.
Leaning Juniper IIB is a wind energy facility built in 2010. It has paid approximately €12.7 million in property taxes since it began operations. Through Avangrid's community sponsorship programme, Leaning Juniper II has also contributed to local libraries, pre-schools, and fire brigades.
Avangrid owns and operates approximately 2.5 GW of power generation capacity in Oregon. The company employs about 375 people in the state, supporting operations both on the ground and from its corporate office in Portland.
