North America PV News Snippets

Arevon Energy to procure 2 GW DC First Solar modules; WEC Energy to acquire $360 million stake in Invenergy's 250 MW solar project in Illinois; ACDC's 30 MW HPCC bitcoin mining data center powered by 87 MW solar farm.

2 GW First Solar modules for Arevon: Arevon Energy, Inc has placed an order for over 2 GW DC Series 7 solar modules from First Solar, Inc. It includes 700 MW DC whose purchase orders were issued before the release of the latter's Q2/222 earnings. Arevon will deploy these modules for its 2 GW portfolio of operating assets and support projects under development in the Midwest and Southwest regions. Arevon's CEO John Breckenridge said, "Sourcing American solar technology from First Solar allows us certainty of supply and helps mitigate the risk of supply shortages and project delays. More broadly, it also allows us to support US innovation in photovoltaics, and the expansion of domestic solar manufacturing capacity through our procurement strategy."

WEC Energy acquires stake in 250 MW PV project: WEC Energy Group has agreed to acquire 80% stake in 250 MW Maple Flats Solar Energy Center in Illinois from Invenergy for some $360 million. The facility will be equipped with 800,000 solar panels and is expected to come online in early 2024. Power generated will be sold under a long-term power purchase agreement (PPA) with a Fortune 100 company. WEC said it is the company's infrastructure segment's maiden solar investment since it is already invested in over 1.5 GW wind farms capacity. The company expects the Maple Flats project to be eligible for Production Tax Credits under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).

ACDC's bitcoin mining center gets solar power: Renewable bitcoin mining operator Aspen Creek Digital Corporation (ACDC) says its 30 MW 2^nd high performance computing center (HPCC) has started operations and is powered by a new 87 MW solar farm. The data center is capable of hosting 10,000 ASIC miners and is connected to the behind-the-meter (BTM) solar project. It has entered into a hosting agreement with Compass Mining to host 27 MW capacity at the facility to be deployed in Q4/2-22. It will make the ACDC facility one of the largest renewable based facilities currently hosting Compass Mining client units, it added. "We are working hard to build the world's leading fleet of renewably powered data centers by implementing our 3GW+ pipeline of wind, solar and battery generation by 2025," said CEO of ACDC Alexandra DaCosta.