Jane Edwards
Microsoft will collaborate with Dominion Virginia Power and the government of Virginia to build a new solar energy facility in Fauquier County through a public-private partnership.
The companies and the government of Virginia expect the facility to commence operations in 2017 and supply the state’s power grid with 20 megawatts of solar energy, Dominion Virginia Power said Wednesday.
Rob Bernard, chief environmental strategist at Microsoft, said the firm expects the project to help increase the amount of renewable energy on the state’s power grid.
“This partnership will help lower carbon emissions in Virginia and diversify our energy portfolio, while growing the solar and data center industries in Virginia,” said Gov. Terry McAuliffe.
Microsoft has previously signed wind energy purchase agreements in order to supply 175 and 110 megawatts of wind power to its data centers in Illinois and Texas, respectively.
