An estimated 300 people will be needed during the peak period of construction. 2023 www.thenewsstar.com. Site Map | Privacy Policy | RSS, Washingtons largest solar project now connected to grid, McCarthy opens new craft workforce center to train current and future workers, Renewables increased energy output by more than 12% in 2022, NREL: Western RTO would decrease cost of clean energy production, transmission. Legal Notice Terms and Conditions Privacy Policy pv magazine 2023, Welcome to pv magazine USA. Walmart, for example, has sustainability goals and a sizable footprint in Louisiana. From raw materials straight through to end-user applications, we capture and analyze the critical details that help professionals stay current and navigate the solar market. Diversion is expected to reach commercial operation in December 2024. The second recently opened for 500 megawatts of power. A petition in opposition of the Chalkley Solar Project on change.org was able to garner 681 supporters before closing, calling the project a metal/mirror wasteland that can potentially destroy or at least harm vast amounts of wildlife.. Shaw has signed deals with utilities such as Entergy New Orleans,but also with business customers such as Facebook for solar projects out West. Wind projects create an average of 0.9 jobs/MW (50 projects/7,125 megawatts), and Louisiana (49 projects/6,714 megawatts). SWEPCO expects to issue another request for proposal (RFP) in the near term for additional renewable energy consistent with the companys integrated resource plan for its energy and capacity needs. There was a problem saving your notification. Wind got a plug recently during the opening session of a Climate Initiatives Task Force appointed by Gov. Other questions:subscriberservices@theadvocate.com. With utilities such as Entergy, Cleco and LUS looking to buy renewable energy, another solar farm is being proposed in Louisiana. Your personal data will only be disclosed or otherwise transmitted to third parties for the purposes of spam filtering or if this is necessary for technical maintenance of the website. "It's about striking a balance. Two solar farms controlled by New York-based D.E. Power from those farms would go to Entergy Louisiana, which supplies power to St. James, Baton Rouge, New Orleans and many other parts of the state. The solar arrays are massive, with hundreds of thousands of individual panels collecting sunlight to generate electricity sent to the power grid. Likewise, major corporations that are big users of electricity are looking to be more environmentally friendly by sourcing more of the power they use from the sun, wind or water. EDP RENEWABLES:A U.S. subsidiary of Portuguese electric utilities giant Energias de Portugal is behind a $78.5 million solar project in Morehouse Parish near Bastrop. Rocking R is part of DESRIs growing portfolio of solar facilities in Louisiana, bringing the total contracted portfolio size to over 500 MW in the state. The $100 million investment made by a single solar facility will generate very significant tax revenues for the parish, school board and sheriff. Amid public opposition, the parish Planning Commission denied them in May. Why Arent Energy Flows Diagrams Used More To Inform Decarbonization? In February, SWEPCO announced plans to add 72.5 MW of solar energy through a power purchase agreement with the proposed Rocking R Solar project in northwest Louisiana. There was a problem saving your notification. Dufresne's and other local officials' concerns reflect the unease that has arisen among some in rural Louisiana over the proliferation of solar farms over thousands of acres agricultural land. Separately, Pineville-based electric utility Cleco, which has a regulated unit serving 24 parishes primarily in central and south Louisiana and an unregulated unit serving nine Louisiana electric cooperatives, announced it's looking to add 400 megawatts of solar electricity. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Thibodaux Solar is not yet registered in Louisiana but is in Delaware, incorporated in mid-June this year as a shell business. You don't have to hire new teachers or first responders; it's quiet, passive, creates revenue and actually preserves the land. "Solar is no longer experimental," the utility told the state Public Service Commission last month. 3127 in Vacherie. This 74.5 MW project produces enough electricity to power 7,991 homes. SWEPCOs long-term plan calls for more than one-third of its Southwest Power Pool accredited capacity to be satisfied with wind and solar resources. Together, the projects represent the largest solar facility currently under construction in Louisiana and will produce a combined 70 MW of power. Science? John Bel Edwards. Dismuskes, the LSU energy analyst, said that while it is true industrial operations are looking for renewable power, it may not be that all of them want that power from Entergy. Check out our Major Solar Projects List for more notable installations. Percentage of State's Electricity from Solar: 62 (5 Manufacturers, 29 Installers/Developers, 28 Others), 2,816 MW over the next 5 years (ranks 15th). Rural Louisiana could see 7 new large-scale solar projects worth nearly $1 billion; see map. Bayou Galion Solar Project LLC will build the Morehouse Parish solar plant. Kelsey is managing editor of Solar Power World and host of the Contractor's Corner podcast. GALEHEAD: A planned 200 megawatt, $200 million solar project in Bogalusa known as Bogalusa West PV I LLC isbeing developed by Galehead, a clean-tech startup which does land developments for solar projects for clients. Use SolarReviews to get company reviews and estimates for solar in your area. Solar projects are similar to any other real estate development with landowners, leases and even property flippers active in the market. Rural residents have complained of unsightly developments. The project is expected to generate between $30 million and $40 million in property taxes over its 30-year lifespan, and would create 300 to 500 temporary construction jobs and three to four full-time jobs. Bob Marshall: Could solar panels keep the lights on after a hurricane? I am confident that it will provide reliable and inexpensive power to these Louisiana co-ops for years to come.. Shaw Investments is supporting seven utility-scale projects in Louisiana, while eight other businesses from startups to big players from inside and outside the United States are behind nine other large-scale solar projects in various stages across the state. If so, couldnt this be raised to allow harvesting them? Tripp Roy, director of development for D.E. The Rocking R Solar Project will be a 72.5-MWAC facility in Caddo Parish, Louisiana, which is anticipated to come online in late 2024. Dufresne, who has with some parish council members so far unsuccessfully called for a moratorium on new solar farms, gained authority last week to negotiate with the parish's third-party planning agency to study the economic and environmental impacts of solar in St. James. 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Bayou Galion by itself will generate enough power to supply more than 20,000 homes. The farm, owned by the hedge fund D.E. D.E. In June, a new proposal process began and Entergy expects to start negotiations soon with companies interested in building three additional solar farms in West Baton Rouge, East Feliciana and Morehouse parishes, if power purchase contracts are awarded. So far, D.E. Roy participated in fashioning the ordinance in Washington, which created buffers, screening requirements, long-term financial assurances for cleanup after panels live out their usefulness, among other issues. Commissioner Foster Campbell, North Louisiana representative on the LPSC, said the Bayou Galion Solar Project will generate 98 megawatts of clean, renewable electricity on 1,080 acres near Mer Rouge. Note: This story has been updated to accurately reflect the spelling ofAndersen Windows and Doors., Solar power companies are proposing another seven large-scale solar-power projects valued at about $1 billion in rural areas of southeast Loui. The hedge fund, also known as DESRI, is seeking to expand around the 210-acre farm by 3,900 more acres in the area with different investors. Published: Nov. 9, 2021 at 3:01 PM PST. "It's a low-impact, high-value project. If you like what we do and want to support us, please chip in a bit monthly via, 70%, 80%, 99.9%, 100% Renewables Study Central, Clean tech and sustainability market research, Climate Change Solutions: Why 1.5C Is So Important, Electric Vehicle Sales Charts, Graphs, & Stats, Engage Global Competition: Technology for a Sustainable Future. Southwestern Electric Power Co. (SWEPCO), a subsidiary of American Electric Power (AEP), is adding three renewable energy projects totaling 999 MW, representing a $2.2 billion investment. Lafayette Utilities System is seeking to diversify its power sources into renewable energy by purchasing up to 300 megawatts of solar power. 3127 and west of La. While natural gas remains the dominant power source in the state, with nuclear, coal and hydroelectric trailing far behind, solar is inching into play in a movement toward diversifying power sources and bolstering renewable energy to replace aging facilities and particularly coal to reduce emissions and fight climate change. Two solar farms are near completion in St. James Parish by D.E. Instead, it's likely the new electricity generation cost, as with the addition of any other new capacity, would be added to monthly bills spread across all ratepayers. By 2022 Entergy expects to have 381 megawatts of solar in its Arkansas portfolio.. Lighthouse already has more than 400 megawatts of solar connected to the grid with another 616 megawatts of power under construction. The project includes 199 MW Sundance, 287 MW Maverick and 998 MW Traverse wind projects. The farm, owned by the hedge fund D.E. This site uses cookies. Shaw's projects near completion. Shaw now has nearly 700 megawatts in construction and contracted clean power projects in Louisiana, the statement said. 20. The subsidiary serves the Mississippi River corridor, including St. James, metro Baton Rouge and much of Louisiana outside New Orleans. It would support 250 jobs and one job once built by June 2024. LIGHTSOURCE: The single largest solar project proposed is for 300 megawatts in Pointe Coupee Parish. Parish officials estimate that Pointe Coupee probably has room for one more solar farm at least for the next decade. There was a problem saving your notification. Last month, Lightsource bp started construction on Ventress Solar, the largest solar farm in Louisiana, which it will own and operate on 1, 800 acres of land in Pointe Coupe Parish. Entergy Louisiana has already made its final decisions with undisclosed companies for the 300-megawatt proposal. Here's a glance at the other proposed projects in the state and their developers: HELIOS INFRASTRUCTURE:Its 50 megawatt project cost $67 million to construct in West Baton Rouge Parish and is operational. Shaw Renewable, also known as DESRI, said his company does not plan to appeal the St. James Parish Planning Commission's ruling but may seek to reapply once new rules are known. 3127 and west of La. But Dufresne has taken a more cautious approach with the solar farms now seeking to set up on agricultural land, worried about eating up swaths of irreplaceable riverside land for solar complexes that produce few permanent jobs. The Chalkley Solar Project has raised the ire of Calcasieu Parish who are worried about the projects size, appearance, and environmental impact. SWEPCO and sister company Public Service Company of Oklahoma also own and operate the 1,484 MW North Central Energy Facilities in north central Oklahoma. Savion Energy's Thibodaux project would be $200 million of investment for 200 megawatts of solar power. Tim Sylvia was an editor at pv magazine USA. John Bel Edwards' climate initiative calls for a vast "decarbonization" of Louisiana's industrial sector which contributes about 62% of Louisiana's greenhouse gases powering boilers and other equipment and sees the push toward renewable power as one of the ways to drive the state to "net-zero" carbon emissions by 2050. WebTo date, we operate solar projects in 27 states, and Tangipahoa will be one of the first solar projects in Louisiana. The projects proposed in Vacherie would produce 120, 90 and 80 megawatts, with a 50-megawatt facility proposed for Franklinton. In Louisiana, with its long hot summers and wet chilly winters, one megawatt powers the equivalent of 100 homes. Mostly through subsidiary Entergy Louisiana, Entergy has reached power agreements for the more than 4,200 acres of solar projects built or proposed in St. James. It has also reached power agreements with the Iris Solar and Sunlight Road Solar complexes in Washington Parish, the Capitol Region Solar complex in West Baton Rouge and others. Required fields are marked *. Some of the groups involved in the fight over industrial operations, like the Louisiana Bucket Brigade, say the parish should apply the same level scrutiny over petrochemical plants as it's applying to solar farms. The hedge fund, also known as DESRI, is seeking to expand around the 210-acre farm by 3,900 more acres in the area with different investors. "The cost to install has come down; the components and the financing costs have come down as it becomes more mature," he said, "and there's more interest from institutional investors." "We need jobs. "You know, solar panels don't go fight with each other, or get in trouble. Shaw Renewable Investments, is seeking to expand its solar operation on vacant fields like this one around the existing solar operation. The Bayou Galion solar project is expected to start construction and begin operation in 2024. Louisiana is a rare Deep South state with a climate plan. The latest plans roughly double the number of solar power projects planned in Louisiana to more than a dozen. At least two of D.E. Since Entergy announced it would be buying solar power, the demand for solar farms has increased. The projects could support 1,000 construction jobs if built, but yield only two full-time positions once completed. ECOPLEXUS:A West Coast solar developer wants to drop $348 million across two solar projects in West Baton Rouge and East Feliciana parishes. Louisianas first utility-scale solar farm, which is 50 megawatts, is in West Baton Rouge Parish and is being connected to the power grid under a 20-year power "It's been a pretty amazing transformation of our industrial customers over the past couple years about their sustainability goals.". Commissioner Foster Campbell, North Louisiana representative on the LPSC, said the Bayou Galion Solar Project will generate 98 megawatts of clean, renewable Like any other industrial project, it's possible that not all the projects will be constructed. The St. James Solar farm in Vacherie collects the rays of the sun and turns them into power for the New Orleans area on Thursday, July 7, 2022. Climate change denial on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and TikTok is as bad as ever, False claim that replacing cornfields with solar panels exacerbates climate change, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Canadian Solar's subsidiary told the state board that approves economic incentives that it already has an agreement with Entergy, which has said that the project is not contingent on a contract with the utility. The hedge fund, also known as DESRI, is seeking to expand around the 210-acre farm by 3,900 more acres in the area with different investors. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Entergy noted that new requests for proposals are expected in the coming years as part of a recurring series of RFPs for renewable resources to support ongoing Entergy Louisiana energy needs to capitalize on the improving economics of solar and potentially offer other technologies relative to conventional resources.. The Chalkley Solar Project, if approved, will become the second project in the 300 MW range coming to Louisiana, a state not historically known for its utility-scale solar. Copyright 2023 CleanTechnica. The farm, owned by the hedge fund D.E. For example, a 20-megawatt solar farm in New Orleans added about $1.50 to the monthly bill of ratepayers there. The Vacherie Solar Energy Center will be a 150 MW AC facility in St. James Parish in Louisiana. 3127 in Vacherie. Walmart has been at the table for discussions through the Louisiana Public Service Commission about the potential for what is called a green tariff option that allows customers to tie their electricity purchases to renewable energy sources. The West Baton Rouge Solar Farm being tied to Entergy has over 100,000 individual solar panels and is off Rosedale Road. There's a solar farm movement coming to Louisiana; here's where these facilities are headed. WebWe are planning to build, own and operate a privately funded $170 million renewable energy project that will deliver electricity into the local grid, helping with Louisianas energy independence and energy security. 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