The United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas has approved the sale of the Sunstone solar-plus-storage project to Amazon Energy. The 1.2 GW solar and 1.2 GW battery storage asset was previously held by Pine Gate Renewables. The Sunstone project is located in Morrow County, Oregon.
Pine Gate Renewables filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in late 2025 after reporting $600 million in debt. The developer listed high interest rates and interconnection delays as primary factors for its insolvency.
Amazon Energy submitted a winning bid of $83 million during the court-supervised auction. This bid exceeded a final offer of $82 million from Puget Sound Energy. The transaction involves the transfer of all permits and site control to an Amazon subsidiary.
The acquisition represents a shift in strategy for the technology company. Amazon typically uses power purchase agreements to meet its renewable energy targets. The direct ownership of the Sunstone project allows the company to control the generation schedule for its regional data center operations.
The project received final discretionary approval from the Oregon Energy Facility Siting Council before the bankruptcy filing. The site is considered shovel-ready with all environmental reviews complete. Amazon will work with Gallatin Power Partners to manage the remaining development phases. Gallatin Power Partners was the original developer of the site before Pine Gate Renewables acquired it in 2023. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2026.
The Sunstone project is designed to provide 7,200 MWh of storage capacity. This capacity is intended to stabilize the local grid during periods of peak demand. Amazon has faced power constraints in the Pacific Northwest as it expands its data center footprint.
The company previously filed lawsuits against local utilities regarding power supply obligations. Direct ownership of Sunstone provides the company with a dedicated power source that does not rely on third-party developers.
Proceeds from the $83 million sale will be used to pay secured creditors of Pine Gate Renewables. Other Pine Gate assets remain under review by the court.
Several smaller projects in the Pine Gate portfolio are expected to be liquidated in separate auctions. The Sunstone project was the largest single asset in the Pine Gate pipeline at the time of bankruptcy filing.
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