The facility will be run by 100% renewable energy and generate 75megawatts at peak solar capacity.
According to its official site, Electrify America, an EV charging station network in the U.S., has entered a 15-year virtual power purchase agreement (VPPA) with developer Terra-Gen to build a sustainable project in San Bernardino County California.
Electrify America is purchasing and retiring all of its bundled environmental certificates associated with the new solar project. It believes that a shift from the standard practice of buying environmental credentials from a third-party supplier on an unbundled basis, which it considers, does less to support new renewable energy generation.
Electrify America’s Solar Glow 1
The new project, called Electrify America Solar Glow™ 1, is expected to generate 75 megawatts per hour at peak capacity, or an estimated 225,000 megawatts annually. It will produce more than enough 100 percent renewable energy to match the current power given to its EV charging customers.
“Electrify America’s business model – and purpose – have always been at the forefront of efforts to reduce emissions through enabling electric mobility,” said Giovanni Palazzo, president, and CEO of Electrify America. “Our commitment to customers and to a sustainable future go hand-in-hand, which is why we are investing in renewable energy generation to commit to a net zero carbon footprint associated with the energy delivered to our customers.”
The Solar Glow 1 will begin construction later this year and is expected to be operational in mid-2023.
Electrify America’s charging network is already using renewable energy. The company also expects to have more than 1,800 charging stations and over 10,000 chargers across U.S. and Canada by 2026.
Its open network is available to almost every electric vehicle and has a charger speed of up to 150kW and 350kW.