AES, Meta ink 650MW solar PV PPAs in Texas, Kansas

The state of Kansas urgently requires a solar PV project as it ranks last in the US for installed solar PV, with just 172MW by the end of 2024, according to data from the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA). In contrast, Texas is the second state after California in total installed solar capacity, boasting 41GW by the end of 2024.

In Texas, Meta has recently secured various solar PV-related agreements this year, such as PPAs and Environmental Attribute Purchase Agreements (EAPAs) with Sunraycer Renewables, RWECypress Creek Renewables, Avangram, and others. Many of these agreements, including the one with AES, are intended to support Meta’s data center operations in the state.

Urvi Parekh, Global Head of Energy at Meta, expressed enthusiasm about collaborating with AES to advance two solar energy projects, stating that these solutions align with their goal for 100% clean and renewable energy, benefiting the grid in these markets.

AES has entered into 10.1GW of contractual agreements with major global hyperscalers, including 7.7GW of long-term PPAs to construct renewable energy capacity to fulfill their data center energy requirements.

A recent report by the International Energy Agency (IEA) predicts that the global electricity demand for data centers and artificial intelligence will more than double by 2030, reaching 945TWh annually from current levels. At a panel discussion held at Solar Media’s Renewables Procurement & Revenue Summit in London this week, PPAs and virtual PPAs were discussed as the most effective means to meet the increasing electricity demand among data centers in Europe, despite some imperfections.

Robert White, head of energy at Ark Data Centres, noted that in an ideal scenario, there would be a quick-to-market, 100% renewable solution available at all times, a goal that aligns with what the grid desires. However, White highlighted that the current technology does not fully support this, leaving solar, wind, and other options as viable alternatives.