Iberdrola, through its US subsidiary Avangrid, has already begun the installation of panels at the 'Oregon Trail Solar' photovoltaic plant, of 57 megawatts (MWdc), located in Gilliam County, Oregon (United States), as reported by the company.
With this milestone, the group is making decisive progress in the construction of the solar park, which supports some 200 jobs and will boost electrification in the United States, helping to meet the increase in electricity demand with clean energy and at the same time boost the local economy through the generation of employment and activity in the area.
The project is scheduled to start up next year and the installation will incorporate more than 100,000 solar panels. Once operational, it will produce enough renewable energy to supply electricity to approximately 10,000 US homes each year.
The energy company, chaired by Ignacio Sánchez Galán, stressed that, in addition to its effect on employment, 'Oregon Trail Solar' "will promote the economic development of the region throughout its useful life through property taxes and other local contribution mechanisms." These revenues will be used to support essential public services, such as educational centers and infrastructure.
'Oregon Trail Solar' is part of Avangrid's expanding portfolio of generation projects in Oregon. The plant is being built next to Pachwáywit Fields, a 205 MWdc solar facility already in operation, and Shutler Energy Storage, a large-scale battery storage system with 41 MW of installed power and 82 megawatt-hours (MWh) of storage capacity.
Iberdrola's subsidiary in the United States manages more than 2,500 MW of installed power in Oregon, where it also has its National Training Center, in Sherman County, in addition to a relevant corporate office in Portland.
With this initiative, the energy group stressed that it "reinforces its commitment to the United States, where it promotes electrical infrastructures that allow for a safer, self-sufficient, competitive and sustainable system, capable of responding to the growth of electricity demand, creating jobs and contributing to the development of communities."
Through Avangrid, Iberdrola is present in 25 states, with nearly 50 billion dollars in assets in the country, and owns and operates seven electric and natural gas utility companies, which supply more than 3.4 million customers in New York and New England.
Likewise, the company owns and operates in the United States around 100 electricity generation facilities with a capacity exceeding 11 GW, a volume sufficient to supply more than three million homes.