Key facts
- Exus Renewables North America acquired four solar projects totaling 715 megawatts.
- The projects are located in Louisiana and Wisconsin.
- The acquisition nearly doubles Exus's renewable energy project portfolio.
- Exus is in talks with data center customers interested in purchasing electricity from the sites.
- ibV Energy Partners began securing grid connections for the projects about five years ago.
U.S. power developer Exus Renewables North America has acquired four large-scale solar projects totaling approximately 715 megawatts of capacity in Louisiana and Wisconsin from ibV Energy Partners. The deal nearly doubles Exus's portfolio of utility-scale renewable energy projects across the country. The acquisition comes as electricity demand in the U.S. has reached record highs, driven by the rapid development of data centers and broader electrification, putting a premium on quickly deliverable power supplies.
Exus CEO Jim Spencer told Reuters that the company is in talks with potential data-center customers interested in buying electricity from the newly acquired sites, noting that "If renewable energy is available for data centers, it will be contracted." The projects include Maple Grove Solar 1 and 2 (310 megawatts) in Wisconsin, the Bayou Teche Solar project (125 megawatts) in Louisiana, and the Bayou Chicot Solar project (280 megawatts) in Louisiana. Exus will construct and operate these plants.
ibV Energy Partners CEO Chris McKissack stated that projects which are ready to build, well-developed, engineered, and community-fit are those that will trade at a premium and get built. He added that ibV began securing grid connections for these projects about five years ago. Spencer anticipates securing offtake agreements within four to six weeks, with discussions underway with both Big Tech hyperscalers and utilities serving data center loads.