Dec 5 (Reuters) - Meta Platforms Inc ( META ) announced

a deal on Thursday to buy the green credits from four large U.S.

solar energy projects that will help the Facebook owner meet its

clean electricity goals as its power needs surge.

The agreement is the latest in a string of announcements

Meta has made this year aimed at meeting the energy needs of its

power-hungry data centers without harming the climate. The

company has previously announced deals with several large solar

projects, a geothermal startup, and is seeking proposals from

nuclear power developers.

In its latest move, Meta signed four contracts with

Chicago-based energy project developer Invenergy for 760

megawatts of solar electricity. That is about enough energy to

power 130,000 homes.

The projects will connect to the power grid between 2024 and

2027 and will be located in Ohio, Texas, New Mexico and

Arkansas, Meta and Invenergy said in a joint statement.

Meta will receive clean energy credits from the projects

rather than using the power directly for its own operations.

"These projects will help us continue our commitment to

support all of our operations with 100% clean energy," Urvi

Parekh, Meta's head of global energy, said in a statement.