First Solar’s 58MW Cove Mountain Solar Project to support Facebook’s Prineville Data Center via PPA with PacifiCorp

Cadmium telluride (CdTe) thin-film photovoltaic module maker First Solar Inc of Tempe, AZ, USA is to develop and build the 58MWAC Cove Mountain Solar Project near Enterprise, Utah (comprising Series 6 thin-film modules mounted on single-axis trackers), which - through a power purchase agreement (PPA) with PacifiCorp - will support Facebook’s Prineville Data Center in Oregon. The agreement is part of a larger deal structure that will support the data center with 100% renewable energy.

“This is an exciting example of how utilities and corporations are collaborating to achieve economic benefits for their stakeholders and also advance renewable energy objectives,” says Eran Mahrer, First Solar’s VP of markets, origination & government affairs. “We are proud to offer First Solar’s project development expertise to help enable this strategic relationship between PacifiCorp and Facebook,” he adds.

“We appreciate First Solar’s efforts to help us provide solar energy on the same grid as our data center,” comments Facebook’s energy strategy manager Peter Freed.

As clean, renewable solar energy has become one of the cheapest sources of new energy generation available in the USA, companies like Facebook are able to meet their environmental commitments while making smart economic decisions, says Karl Brutsaert, First Solar’s senior director of corporate renewables. “First Solar has been on the leading edge of this trend, and we are well-positioned to work with corporations globally as they develop smart renewable energy strategies that leverage efficient and reliable large-scale offsite generation facilities,” he believes.

“This project exemplifies an exciting opportunity for solar development to support economic development in both rural Utah and Oregon,” comments Kathryn Arbeit, First Solar’s VP of project development. “As a US manufacturer, we are thrilled to facilitate this type of regional development, which helps create good-paying construction and manufacturing jobs,” he adds.

First Solar expects to begin construction on the project in late 2019, and estimates an average of about 200 construction jobs with potential peak construction jobs of nearly 500. Commissioning is expected in late 2020. First Solar Energy Services expects to provide Operations & Maintenance services when the project is commissioned.

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