Leeward Renewable Energy (LRE), a US clean energy company, has achieved significant milestones on three of its renewables projects in Ohio, Arizona and Illinois, totalling 450MW.
The company reached milestones on the 196MW Big Plain Solar, the 160MW White Wing Ranch Solar and the legacy 80MW GSG Wind projects.
The power generated will be sold under renewable energy purchase agreements to telecom giant Verizon.
The agreements to supply a total of 640MW of clean energy for 15 years were signed in January 2022.
Big Plain solar farm, with a capacity of 196MW, is situated on 1,500 acres of land in Madison County, Ohio. Construction began in August 2022 and it has now begun commercial operations.
The 160MW White Wing Ranch Solar project is in Yuma County, Arizona.
Construction has already begun on the project and it is expected to begin operations in the second half of 2024.
GSG Wind is a legacy wind farm in Lee and Lasalle Counties, Illinois. It began operations in 2007 and is powered by 40 turbines.
The company is decommissioning the turbines and will install 26 new and larger ones for enhanced capacity and performance.
Construction on its repowering is under way and it is expected to begin operations by the end of 2023, with 180 jobs created during the construction phase.
To enhance sustainability, LRE is recycling and reusing blades from the decommissioned turbines on the new ones.
LRE CEO Jason Allen stated: “LRE is thrilled to reach these significant project milestones with Verizon as we continue to develop innovative renewable energy solutions to meet their needs and sustainability goals.
“Today’s announcement underscores our unwavering commitment to advancing the energy transition in the US and making a substantial, positive impact in the communities where we operate.”
Verizon global supply chain and sourcing senior vice-president and chief sustainability officer Jim Gowen stated: “This impressive collective of project announcements highlights our dedication to protecting our planet and enabling a sustainable energy transition in the United States. Innovative companies like LRE help us deliver on these goals.”
LRE aims to position itself as one of the top renewable energy providers in the country with 10GW of operating and contracted capacity by 2026.
