Your Cooperative is proud to be the electric power provider to AstraZeneca's newly announced $4.5 billion biopharmaceutical manufacturing site at the Rivanna Futures site in northern Albemarle County, Virginia. This major investment is expected to support 600 direct jobs and generate additional economic activity through construction and supply chain work.
Well before the Oct. 9, 2025, groundbreaking, REC was involved is discussions between AstraZeneca and local and state partners to clearly establish the Cooperative's readiness to support the project, which will mark AstraZeneca's largest investment in a single manufacturing facility to date.
Such advance planning ensures reliable power delivery that supports more than AstraZeneca's construction and operational timelines.
"The coordination positions REC as a strategic utiligy partner. We're enabling the facility's long-term success, but we're also aligning the project's ingrastructure with the region's broader economic development plans," said Kayla Coleman, REC's economic development manager. With the site now determined and the project moving forward, REC's engineering team is evaluating the Cooperative's system capacity and existing facilities, as well as the plant's electric load and infrastructure requirements. Engineers will then design the necessary upgrades to power the complex and ensure AstraZeneca has power to meet its projected load ramp and operational schedule.
REC also assigned project managers to support the pharmaceutical manufacturer throughout the design and construction phases.
"having dedicated project managers provides day-to-day points of contact. That really simplifies the process for commercial and industrial members. They also offer consistent oversight, timeline management and coordination of long-lead time equipment ordering and delivery as the project progresses," Coleman said.
Because affordable and reliable electricity is a key component for the local economy, REC understands it has a critical role in attracting and retaining businesses. Its Economic Development Department is the liaison for the Cooperative's commercial and industrial customers.
With the groundbreaking done, and the detailed utility and transportation plans being developed, the stage is set for full-scale construction to begin. From there, the focus turns to building the campus, installing specialized equipment and ramping up hiring, with AstraZeneca projecting operations within four to five years.
