Tennessee Valley Authority inks solar deal with Google

The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) announced this week that its new 100-megawatt solar facility in Obion County, Tennessee, will supply energy to Google’s data centers in Clarksville, Tenn., and Hollywood, Ala.

The initiative was made possible through the TVA’s Green Invest program, which helps customers like Google obtain new renewable energy projects. Green Invest has generated $1.4 billion in economic activity in TVA’s service area in the past two years.

“TVA’s Green Invest can deliver clean, reliable renewable energy at a competitive price – stimulating growth across our seven-state region and giving our region a competitive advantage through public power,” Chris Hansen, TVA vice president of Origination and Renewables, said.

Florida-based solar developer Origis Energy will own and operate the plant through a long-term power purchase agreement. The project will create more than 300 construction jobs, with additional employment for 8-10 full-time operations and maintenance staff. The facility is expected to be operational by the end of 2022, pending environmental reviews.

“This Tennessee solar milestone is another demonstration of the success of TVA’s Green Invest partnership,” Johan Vanhee, Origis Energy chief commercial officer and chief procurement officer, said. “Such utility innovations are helping Google reach its aim to be the first major company to operate carbon-free by 2030. We are very pleased to add 100 megawatts to this goal while contributing to the economic development of Obion County.”

Google had already purchased 266 megawatts of solar power linked into the TVA electric grid. Google is the world’s largest corporate buyer of renewable energy, said Reid Spolek, with Data Center Energy Strategy at Google. TVA has already completed four other major Green Invest deals this year, including projects with General Motors, Vanderbilt University, Knoxville Utilities Board, and Facebook.

“TVA is a job creator, and we are looking for creative ways to use our solar programs to bring high-paying jobs to the communities we serve,” Hansen said. “By integrating public-private partnerships with clean energy, we can make our region the premier destination for businesses that want to achieve their sustainability goals,” said Hansen.