TransAlta signs deal with Meta on new 200 megawatt Oklahoma wind project

A woman walks towards the entrance of the TransAlta headquarters building in Calgary, on Tuesday, April 29, 2014. (Larry MacDougal / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

Canadian energy company TransAlta Corp. says it has signed a deal with Meta, formerly known as Facebook, to sell the technology giant power generated at a planned U.S. wind project.

TransAlta says under the long-term renewable energy purchase deal, Meta has agreed to buy all electricity expected to be produced at a new wind project in Oklahoma.

The Calgary-based company says construction on the 200 megawatt Horizon Hill wind power project in the state's Logan County is slated to begin later this year with commercial operation in the second half of 2023.

It says the 34-turbine facility has a capital cost of about US$290 million to US$310 million, with expected annual earnings of approximately US$27 million to US$30 million.

John Kousinioris, president and CEO of TransAlta, says the offtake agreement is an opportunity for the company to expand its wind fleet in the U.S. while supporting Meta's sustainability goals.

Urvi Parekh, head of renewable energy at Meta, says the tech company has supported its global operations with 100 per cent wind and solar energy since 2020 and the TransAlta project will help it continue to meet that goal.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 5, 2022.