Avangrid’s Tower Solar project in Morrow County, Oregon. Photo Courtesy of Avangrid

• 166-Megawatt DC (120 MWac) Tower Solar project, consisting of more than 250,000 SEG Solar panels, expected to reach commercial operation later this year
• Project will deliver energy to Portland General Electric’s grid, support QTS operations in the region

Avangrid, Inc., a leading energy company and member of the Iberdrola Group, today announced that it has completed the installation of more than 250,000 American-made solar panels at its Tower Solar project in Morrow County, Oregon. The project’s solar panels were assembled domestically by SEG Solar at its new Houston manufacturing facility. Avangrid continues to work on other aspects of the project ahead of commercial operation expected later this year. The 166 MWdc (120 MWac) project will deliver energy to the Portland General Electric (PGE) power grid and help support a new QTS data center campus in the region.

“This is a major milestone for Tower Solar and demonstrates how investment in America’s energy infrastructure drives economic growth nationwide,” said Jose Antonio Miranda, Avangrid CEO. “Assembling modules in Texas supported U.S. jobs and manufacturing, project construction is building the local workforce, and once complete, operations will reinforce the region’s grid with new power to support growing demand.”

“SEG Solar is proud to support Avangrid’s Tower Solar project by supplying high-quality modules manufactured at our Houston facility,” said Jim Wood, Chief Executive Officer of SEG Solar. “This project reflects our continued commitment to product quality, manufacturing excellence, and building strong partnerships across the U.S. market.”

Tower Solar is located just west of Boardman, Oregon and sits on about 900 acres of industrially zoned land owned by the Port of Morrow. Avangrid created approximately 200 construction jobs that were filled mostly with regional union labor. Tower Solar is expected to pay about $20 million in combined PILOTs (payment in lieu of taxes) and property taxes which will support a variety of public services, including education.

Tower Solar will deliver electricity to PGE’s grid through Green Future Impact (GFI), a voluntary program designed to help large municipal, commercial, and industrial customers meet their ambitious sustainability and carbon reduction ambitions through the development of new clean energy facilities in the region. PGE’s GFI program lets large customers choose non-emitting energy without increasing costs for other customers. All customers benefit from the energy, but program participants pay the extra cost of the clean energy they select.

KeyFacts Energy: Avangrid Renewables US country profile