Google: Google signs solar deal in Nebraska

Google revealed this week that it has worked with Omaha Public Power District (OPPD) on a procurement framework that enables Google to supply carbon-free energy to OPPD. The search giant signed a deal with NextEra Energy to offtake from the Pierce County Energy Center a 420MW solar system and a 680MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) in northeast Nebraska that is expected to come online in 2027.

"The Pierce County Energy Center will support our own 24/7 CFE goal and OPPD’s clean energy ambitions," Google said. "Additionally, we will share the clean energy capacity attributes with OPPD for the benefit of all energy customers in the region."

Rebecca Kujawa, president and CEO of NextEra Energy Resources, said: “We’re excited to further our commitment to the state of Nebraska, where NextEra Energy Resources has invested more than $820 million since 2013, while continuing to collaborate with Google. We now have a large and growing portfolio of contracted wind, solar, and storage resources with Google as we help address the significant need for clean, reliable, affordable energy.”

“This collaboration is a big step forward in our continuing work to add 3,200MW of power by the end of the decade, with most of the energy coming from renewable energy sources,” said OPPD President and CEO Javier Fernandez. “Pierce County Energy Center supports our commitment to a diverse generation portfolio, which is critical to reliability.”