Leeward turns sod on 100-MW N Carolina solar project with Verizon PPA
October 7 (Renewables Now) – Leeward Renewable Energy LLC said on Thursday it has initiated the construction of its 100-MW Oak Trail solar photovoltaic (PV) project in North Carolina, seeking to reach commercial operation by mid-2023.
To be installed near Moyock, in Currituck County, the solar farm will be run under a long-term power purchase agreement (PPA) with US wireless carrier Verizon Communications Inc (NYSE:VZ). The plant will be equipped with Trina Solar hardware.
“The renewable energy produced by the Oak Trail Solar project will help us achieve net zero emissions in our operations by 2035,” said James Gowen, Verizon’s chief sustainability officer.
Around 30% of the project area will be used to set up a pollinator habitat, native vegetation and wildflowers space. Blue Ridge Power is serving as the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractor.
Leeward, a portfolio company of OMERS Infrastructure, owns 2.5 GW of renewable power plants in operation across nine US states and has 20 GW of projects under development.
With Oak Trail, the company’s portfolio of assets currently under construction has expanded to 880 MW. This summer, Leeward started building a 96-MW solar park in Ohio and a 200-MW PV farm in Texas to supply Verizon.
