HOUSTON, and REDMOND, Wash., March 7,
2019 /PRNewswire/ -- EDP Renewables SA (EDPR), through its fully owned subsidiary EDP Renewables North America LLC,
and Microsoft Corp. have executed two 15-year power purchase agreements (PPA) totaling 125 megawatts (MW) that will bring the
Timber Road IV Wind Farm to Ohio's Paulding County. These PPAs
are included in the announcement EDPR issued on July 24, 2018.
The 125 MW Timber Road IV Wind Farm is expected to be operational in 2019 and will produce enough clean electricity to
annually power more than 36,000 average Ohio homes. The wind farm will also yield employment
opportunities — approximately 200 full-time equivalent jobs during construction (expected to commence in several months following
approval from the Ohio Power Siting Board on Feb. 21, 2019) and seven full-time positions during
operations. In addition, the new wind farm will generate approximately $1.1 million each year in
annual property tax revenue for the local government as well as land lease payments to area farmers and landowners.
"Bringing new wind projects online, particularly in states with relatively few projects but strong potential for growth,
delivers both economic benefits and environmental progress in the near term and well into the future," said Brian Janous, general manager, Energy and Sustainability at Microsoft. "We are constantly looking for
opportunities where our corporate demand can not only be met but can also accelerate the transition to renewable sources. EDPR
has done great work in Ohio, and we're pleased to partner with them to grow this
market."
These agreements with EDPR bring Microsoft's directly purchased renewable energy portfolio to nearly 1.4 gigawatts (GW).
Timber Road IV Wind Farm is Microsoft's fifth project in the larger PJM region.
"Microsoft exemplifies admirable energy supply and sustainability goals, and EDP Renewables is proud to partner with it to
accelerate its efforts to power its datacenters with renewable energy sources," said Miguel Prado,
EDP Renewables North America CEO. "Agreements like these are a prime example of EDP Renewables' ability to work with corporate
customers to help them achieve their renewable energy targets and reduce carbon emissions."
The Timber Road IV Wind Farm will be EDPR's fourth operational wind farm in Ohio and its
third operational wind farm in Paulding County. The four wind farms total 392 MW, contributing
to more than 40 percent of the state's installed wind capacity. EDPR's three operational Ohio
wind farms power 76,000 average Ohio homes and represent an estimated capital investment of
$503 million. The operational wind farms have paid more than $6
million to local governments to date and $16.1 million to landowners through 2017. It is
estimated that $93 million has also been spent in local Ohio
communities within 50 miles of the wind farms.
"We applaud this partnership between EDP Renewables and Microsoft that will allow Microsoft to power its operations on the
larger PJM grid with clean, homegrown wind energy from Paulding County," said Dana Saucier, JobsOhio's vice president and head of Economic Development. "Every day we see more and more
companies choosing competitively priced renewable energy. Ohio has an excellent opportunity to provide it through
arrangements like this that also serve to supplement local farm income, generate stable tax revenues for schools and local
government, and create jobs and opportunity in some of Ohio's most rural communities."
About EDP Renewables
EDP Renewables (Euronext: EDPR) is a global leader in the renewable energy sector and the world's fourth-largest wind
energy producer. With a sound development pipeline, first class assets and market-leading operating capacity, EDPR has undergone
exceptional development in recent years and is currently present in 13 markets (Belgium,
Brazil, Canada, France,
Greece, Italy, Mexico,
Poland, Portugal, Romania,
Spain, the UK and the US). Energias de Portugal, S.A. ("EDP"),
the principal shareholder of EDPR, is a global energy company and a leader in value creation, innovation and sustainability. EDPR
has been featured on the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for 11 consecutive years. For further information, please
visit www.edpr.com.
About EDP Renewables North America
EDP Renewables North America LLC ("EDPR NA") and its subsidiaries develop, construct, own, and operate wind farms and
solar parks throughout North America. Headquartered in Houston,
Texas, with 48 wind farms, 5 solar parks, and 13 regional and development offices across North
America, EDPR NA has developed more than 6,700 megawatts (MW) and operates more than 6,100 MW of renewable energy
projects. EDPR NA is owned by EDP Renováveis, S.A. (EDPR). For more information, visit www.edprnorthamerica.com.
About Microsoft
Microsoft (Nasdaq "MSFT" @microsoft) enables digital transformation for the era of an intelligent cloud and an
intelligent edge. Its mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.
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SOURCE Microsoft Corp.