By Laila Kearney
NEW YORK, Sept 29 (Reuters) - U.S. power developer Exus Renewables North America has acquired four large-scale solar projects in Louisiana and Wisconsin from ibV Energy Partners and is in talks with potential data-center customers interested in buying electricity from the sites, Exus CEO Jim Spencer told Reuters.
The country's electricity demand hit record highs this year and is expected to climb further from the rapid development of data centers and broader electrification, spurring
power acquisitions and putting a premium on supplies that can be delivered quickly.
"If renewable energy is available for data centers, it will be contracted," Spencer said.
The projects total about 715 megawatts of solar capacity, nearly doubling Exus' portfolio, said Spencer, whose Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based company independently owns, develops, and operates utility-scale renewable energy projects across the country. For reference, 715 megawatts is enough to power more than a half-million homes.
Exus will construct and operate the solar plants, which include Maple Grove Solar 1 and 2, a two-phase 310-megawatt project in Barron County, Wisconsin; the 125-megawatt Bayou Teche Solar project in St. Mary Parish, Louisiana; and the 280-megawatt Bayou Chicot Solar project in Evangeline Parish, Louisiana.
No financial details for the transaction were disclosed.
Wisconsin and Louisiana are fast-growing U.S. states for the development of data centers, which are expanding more quickly than many of the country's utilities and grid operators can handle.
Exus said the projects were attractive partly because they could be interconnected relatively quickly in regions where demand is outpacing available generation.
Solar and battery storage developer ibV began work securing grid connections with Midcontinent Independent System Operator for the projects roughly a half-decade ago, said Chris McKissack, CEO of ibV Energy Partners.
"Projects that are ready to build, projects that are well developed, projects that are engineered well, fit within the community... are the ones that will trade at a premium and get built," McKissack said.
Spencer said he expects to line up offtake agreements within four to six weeks and is discussing sales both with Big Tech hyperscalers and utilities serving data-center load.
(Reporting by Laila Kearney in New York; Editing by Liz Hampton and Chizu Nomiyama )
