A Portland renewable energy company plans to build the state’s largest solar-power facility in Eastern Oregon and sell the electricity to Portland General Electric, both companies have announced.

Avangrid Renewables, a subsidiary of Avangrid Inc., plans to build a 162-megawatt solar plant in Gilliam County and supply power and the accompanying renewable energy credits to Portland General Electric’s Green Future Impact customers, helping them source up to 100% of their energy from a local renewable energy resource.

“We’re proud to meet growing customer demand for clean energy,” said Maria Pope, president and CEO of Portland General Electric. “These partnerships are critical for creating jobs, thereby creating a green economy and accelerating clean energy delivery to customers.”

Green Future Impact is a voluntary renewable energy program that PGE introduced to give large businesses and municipalities more ways to meet their sustainability goals and strengthen the local clean energy industry. Avangrid Renewables will develop and own the project, which Green Future Impact customers will participate in naming. PGE will purchase the facility’s entire output for 15 years, increasing the amount of clean energy in PGE’s system and creating a tangible connection between participating customers and their energy resource.

The new solar facility will be Avangrid Renewables’ 11th renewable energy facility in Oregon and will be built on 1,200 privately owned acres in Gilliam County. It has participated in development of solar projects in Wasco and Crook counties, according to its website.

Construction is expected to begin in Gilliam County late this year or in early 2021. At its peak, construction will generate about 300 jobs in partnership with local unions. When the facility begins operating in late 2021, it will produce enough power to serve the equivalent of about 40,000 homes and will generate an estimated $1.3 million of taxes and property owner lease payments each year, benefiting the local economy for years to come.

“We value the opportunity to partner with PGE to build the largest solar facility in Oregon,” said Alejandro de Hoz, Avangrid Renewables president and CEO. “Given our company’s long history in the Pacific Northwest, we are proud to play a key role in delivering more renewable electricity to forward-thinking commercial energy customers.”

Approved by the Oregon Public Utilities Commission in 2019, Green Future Impact is available to cities and other large businesses that meet threshold requirements for energy use. By committing to long-term participation, the program ensures that customer prices reflect the actual cost of producing and delivering the energy. The program is structured to be self-supporting and avoid shifting costs to non-participating customers. Additional capacity in the Green Future Impact program remains available.