A proposed utility-scale wind farm in Botetourt County has finally found a buyer for the electricity it will produce.
Apex Clean Energy announced Wednesday that it has reached a power-purchase agreement with Google, which will use the renewable energy to help power its data centers in Virginia.
The agreement -- which comes after years of searching for a buyer and other challenges faced by the project over the past decade - clears the way for what will be the state's first onshore wind farm.
Called Rocky Forge Wind, the facility will consist of about a dozen turbines, each one 643 feet tall, that will be built along a ridgeline of North Mountain, about five miles northeast of Eagle Rock.
Capable of producing up to 78 megawatts of electricity, the project is slated to begin operations in 2026. Construction will begin next year, Apex has said earlier.
"Rocky Forge represents a new chapter in Virginia's energy transition, delivering lasting economic and environmental benefits to Apex's home state while advancing Google's sustainability goals," Eamon Perrel, the Charlottesville company's executive vice president of business development, said in the announcement.
"Google -- alongside many key stakeholders over the years -- enabled this milestone, demonstrating the power of partnership in accelerating the shift to clean energy," Perrel said.
This story will be updated.
Laurence Hammack (540) 981-3239
Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
The business news you need
Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly.
Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Laurence Hammack Author email Follow Laurence Hammack Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification.
{{description}}
Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.
Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today