Invenergy, a privately-held power generation developer and operator, has commenced the commercial operations at 250MW Blooming Grove Wind Energy Centre in the US.
The facility is located in McLean County, Illinois, and capable of generating adequate electricity to power nearly 69,000 US homes per annum.
The project has supported the local community with nearly 500 jobs during the construction.
Invenergy EVP and chief commercial officer Jim Shield said: “Blooming Grove Wind Energy Center is Invenergy’s 15th project to achieve commercial operations in our home state, signifying our continued commitment to a clean energy economy in Illinois.
“As a leading partner to corporate renewable energy purchasers, Invenergy is proud to celebrate this milestone with Verizon and Saint-Gobain, and commend their dedication to investing in clean energy and fostering resilient, sustainable communities.”
Invenergy signed two VPPAs for Blooming Grove project
Invenergy has signed two separate Virtual Power Purchase Agreements (VPPA) with Verizon and Saint-Gobain North America for the power generated at Blooming Grove project.
Verizon is supporting the wind project through a 130MW VPPA, which was signed in 2020 to focus on its ongoing efforts to achieve carbon neutrality in its operations by 2035.
Verizon chief sustainability officer and supply chain operations vice president James Gowen said: “Verizon is committed to supporting the transition to a greener grid by making substantial investments in renewable energy – including at Invenergy’s Blooming Grove facility.
“Through its second $1 billion green bond announced last year, Verizon is intent on bringing new renewable energy to the grids that power our networks.”
Saint-Gobain North America is supporting the Blooming Grove project with a 120MW VPPA. The agreement is part of its goal to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
The company is expected to receive renewable energy certificates (RECs) that offset CO2 emissions from electricity and support its US operations by 40%, said the company.
In November last year, Invenergy announced that is it constructing a 1,310MW solar project in Texas, US.
Estimated to be constructed with a capital investment of $1.6bn, the solar project will be located in Lamar, Red River and Franklin Counties.
