Leeward reports progress on 450 MW of solar, wind projects in US

Leeward Renewable Energy LLC has made significant progress on three renewable energy assets in the US, including the commissioning of a 196-MW solar farm and the start of construction works on two other sites.

All three assets have renewable energy purchase agreements (REPAs) with US wireless carrier Verizon Communications Inc (NYSE:VZ).

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On Tuesday, Leeward announced the commissioning of the Big Plain Solar site in Madison County, Ohio. The plant is equipped with thin-film modules made by First Solar, while the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) job was assigned to SOLV Energy.

At the same time, Leeward has kicked off onsite construction works at the 160-MW White Wing Ranch Solar project in Yuma County, Arizona. The plant is expected to go online in the second half of 2024.

Onsite construction works have also been started to repower the company’s legacy 80-MW GSG Wind farm facility in Lee and Lasalle Counties, Illinois which was first brought live in 2007. Some 40 decommissioned Gamesa turbines will now be replaced with 26 new more efficient ones with the site expected to be switched on in December. All 102 blades of the original turbines will be recycled or reused.

Apart from the progress achieved on the three projects, Leeward also unveiled the addition of another power-generating asset to its long-standing partnership with Verizon. While the REPAs for Big Plain and White Wing Ranch had already been announced, the contract for the repowered GSG Wind has just been disclosed.