Avangrid Bags New Contract to Power Microsoft

Avangrid Inc has signed an agreement to supply electricity to Microsoft Corp from the Bluebird Solar project in Klickitat County, Washington, designed to have a capacity of 140 megawatts direct current (100 MW alternating current).

Expected to start commercial operation 2028, Bluebird is the fourth Avangrid project to have the Redmond, Washington-based tech giant as a customer. Avangrid, the United States arm of Spanish power and gas utility Iberdrola SA, previously executed power purchase agreements with Microsoft for Camino Solar in California, Juniper Canyon Wind in Washington and Powell Creek Solar in Ohio.

The 57-MWdc (44 MWac) Camino Solar in Kern County and the 202-MWdc (150 MWac) Powell Creek Solar in Putnam County launched commercial operation last year. The 151.2-MW Juniper Canyon Wind is expected to begin commercial operation 2026.

"Construction of Bluebird is expected to create approximately 300 jobs, mostly filled by local union labor", Avangrid said in a press release. "Long-term operations and maintenance will also support several permanent jobs in the community. Over its lifetime, Avangrid expects Bluebird to contribute about $11 million in local property taxes which will support local public services".

"Bluebird is located near four other energy projects owned and operated by Avangrid in Klickitat County and represents another $300 million investment in the community", it added.

Elsewhere Avangrid recently completed construction for the 166-MWdc (120 MWac) Tower Solar project in Morrow County, Oregon.

"Once commissioning activity is complete, the project will deliver energy to Portland General Electric (PGE) and help support QTS operations in the region", Avangrid said Tuesday.

"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", it noted. "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".

The project installed over 250,000 solar panels assembled by SEG Solar Inc at its Houston facility.

Avangrid said it operates over 11 gigawatts of installed capacity across the U.S. through nearly 100 projects in 25 states.

The U.S. is one of Iberdrola's main countries of operation, alongside Brazil, Spain and the United Kingdom. At the end of the first quarter, Iberdrola's installed capacity in the U.S. consisted of 8,205 MW onshore wind, 390 MW offshore wind, 1,550 solar, 119 MW hydro, 636 MW cogeneration and 204 MW gas combined cycle.

Iberdrola distributed 10,012 GWh of power in the U.S. in the first three months of 2026, while gas totaled 25,582 GWh, according to the company's quarterly report.

To contact the author, email jov.onsat@rigzone.com