Charles River Laboratories Enters VPPA To Support Construction Of Electricity Supplier's New 250 MW Texas Solar Farm

Duke Energy Sustainable Solutions today announced the start of construction of the 250-megawatt (MW) Pisgah Ridge Solar project in Navarro County, Texas.

Charles River Laboratories International Inc., a provider of critical research tools and integrated support services used in drug discovery and development, has signed a virtual power purchase agreement (VPPA) for 102 MW of the project over 15 years. This commitment will address the entirety of the company’s North American electric power load with renewable energy by 2023.

Charles River was advised on the VPPA by Schneider Electric

Two other corporations have signed separate 15-year VPPA agreements for the remaining 148 MW of solar energy generated by the Pisgah Ridge Solar project, Duke Energy Sustainable Solutions said

All three VPPAs associated with the site will settle on an as-generated basis tied to the project’s real-time energy output.

Commercial operation of Pisgah Ridge Solar is anticipated by the end of 2022.

Duke Energy Sustainable Solutions currently operates nearly 1,500 MW of wind, 500 MW of solar and a 36 MW battery storage facility in Texas.