CHARLOTTESVILLE, Virginia—Apex Clean Energy today announced that Great Pathfinder Wind, a 225 MW project located in Boone and Hamilton Counties in central Iowa, has executed a power purchase agreement with Meta for the full capacity of the project. Great Pathfinder will be Meta’s second clean power purchase in Iowa.
Great Pathfinder Wind will help support Meta’s operations in the region, including its data center campus approximately 40 miles away in Altoona, Iowa, which recently announced an expansion in December 2021. Meta has been part of the Iowa community since breaking ground on its data center in 2013. Once completed, the data center will represent an investment of more than $2.5 billion and support over 400 jobs. The wind project will help Meta continue supporting its global operations with 100% renewable energy.
“Our partnership with Meta positions Great Pathfinder Wind as a best-in-class clean energy project benefiting communities in central Iowa and across the Hawkeye State,” said Mark Goodwin, Apex Clean Energy president and CEO. “Leveraging Iowa’s tremendous wind resources will accelerate the deployment of clean energy, create local jobs, and generate significant local and state economic investment—a trifecta of benefits only possible through trusted collaboration.”
“We are proud to partner with Apex to continue bringing new renewable energy resources, investment, and jobs to Iowa through this new wind project,” said Urvi Parekh, director of renewable energy at Meta. “Iowa’s ability to host high-quality wind projects, while providing a welcoming business environment, has made it a great home for our data center, and we hope this investment demonstrates our continued commitment to the state and the local community.”
In addition to the economic benefits created by Meta’s data center, Great Pathfinder Wind will create significant local benefits in Boone and Hamilton Counties, generating approximately $32 million in local tax revenue, $74 million in payments to landowners, 270 full-time local jobs during construction, and nine long-term local operations positions. Great Pathfinder Wind is expected to begin commercial operations in 2022.
The PPA represents Apex’s fifth transaction with Meta, following a 61.6 MW PPA with Altavista Solar; a 200 MW PPA with Aviator Wind East, part of the largest single-phase, single-site wind project in the United States; a 175 MW PPA with Lincoln Land Wind; and, most recently, a 197 MW PPA with Jayhawk Wind.
(contributed press release, Apex Clean Energy)
