EDP Renewables North America, a leading renewable energy developer and a top five renewable energy owner and operator in the United States, Salt River Project and Meta unveiled the 200 megawatt (MW) Brittlebush Solar Park located near the town of Coolidge, AZ.
“Arizona’s forward-thinking policies and welcoming business environment for innovative technologies that prioritize sustainability make it a perfect location to generate solar,” noted Sandhya Ganapathy, CEO of EDP Renewables North America. “We’re proud of the partnership with Salt River Project and Meta that has resulted in reducing carbon emissions, local economic benefits, and diversifying Arizona’s energy portfolio. This is something every Arizonan can get behind.”
Brittlebush supports SRP’s commitment to responsibly decarbonize its power generation portfolio while providing affordable and reliable energy to one of the fastest growing areas in the country.
“SRP is proud to partner with EDPR NA to bring more clean energy to Arizona and to support Meta’s renewable energy goals,” added Bobby Olsen, SRP Chief Planning, Strategy and Sustainability Executive. “This project will also move us closer to reaching our own goal to reduce emissions by 82 percent by 2035 while providing affordable and reliable power to our customers.”
The project’s total capacity will be dedicated to supporting Meta’s data center in Mesa, AZ. Brittlebush represents the third renewable energy partnership between EDPR NA and Meta. Meta will also receive capacity from two other SRP resources, the 100-MW West Line Solar Facility and the 300-MW solar plus battery Eleven Mile Facility. Each of these projects will further enable Meta to reach its 100% renewable and net zero goals.
Brittlebush will support the local economy by providing millions of dollars in payments to local governments throughout its operating life, benefiting schools, health care facilities, fire departments, and other county services. Brittlebush created more than 300 construction jobs and will host more than five permanent jobs tied to operations and maintenance of the facility.
“Coolidge has worked hard to create a solar overlay for our community and this partnership between EDPR NA, SRP, and Meta will help strengthen our economy while providing local economic benefits and reducing emissions,” said Coolidge City Manager Rick Miller. “With more solar energy entering our community, Coolidge will continue to receive economic benefits and be recognized as a leader in renewable energy development in Arizona.”
Brittlebush is EDPR NA’s second operational project in Arizona, building upon EDPR NA’s deep relationships with local land development partners in Arizona, including Saint Holdings, resulting in a total portfolio of 358 MW of solar assets throughout the state. “For Saint Holdings, it is a tremendous honor to have played a part in EDPR NA’s Brittlebush Solar Park,” stated Jackob Anderson, CEO of Saint Holdings. “This world-class renewable energy project exemplifies our commitment to fostering sustainable growth and powering Arizona’s thriving economy. Together, we are driving forward the future of clean energy in our state.” In addition to Brittlebush, EDPR NA is currently developing its 96 MW Table Top Solar Park, formerly known as Casa Grande Carmel Solar Park, and operates the 158 MW Sun Streams Solar Park, both of which have created a combined 400 construction jobs and 10 permanent operations and maintenance positions.
Through its Integrated System Plan, SRP found it will need to at least double the number of generating resources on its power system in the next 10 years to meet increasing energy demand in the Phoenix metropolitan area as it moves forward with the planned retirement of 1,300 MW of coal resources.
More than 2,500 MW of carbon-free energy resources, including over 1,200 MW of solar, and nearly 1,300 MW of battery and pumped hydro storage are currently serving SRP customers. SRP also has significantly more solar energy capacity under development and over 1,100 MW of additional battery storage resources will be online by the end of 2024.
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