Rocking R represents DESRIs first contract with SWEPCO, DESRIs first solar project in northern Louisiana, and the first utility-scale solar project built in the parish. Dufresne adds he worries what impact the loss of sugar cane acreage could have on local mills that also offer jobs, though some experts doubt DESRI's plans would have much more impact over broader trends cutting into agricultural acreage already. Following state regulatory approvals, AEP will file with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for approval to transfer the projects from Invenergy. The farm, owned by the hedge fund D.E. 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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. You have permission to edit this article. Ecoplexus has deals with customers such as Fortune 500 companies Medtronic and Ecolab, in addition to privately held businesses like Andersen Windows and Doors. One, released in June 2020, is for 300 megawatts. 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. The other such installation is the 345 MW Ventress Solar project, set to start construction by the end of this year and slated for completion in 2023. Solar projects are similar to any other real estate development with landowners, leases and even property flippers active in the market. The answers may surprise you, Rural Louisiana could see 7 new large-scale solar projects worth nearly $1 billion; see map, Entergy gave shifting rationales for New Orleans East plant at center of Ida response, Rooftop solar systems survived Hurricane Ida; in blackout, some powered neighbors, too. 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. In New Orleans East, the smaller 20-megawatt solar farm tied to Entergy cost $42 million, while a solar farm similar in size to the one in West Baton Rouge cost $78 million. This information came from an advance notification filed with Louisianas economic development office. Companies, big plants and utilities want to cut carbon emissions to meet corporate sustainability goals often driven by investor demands for greener operations and to prepare for the potential of regulatory costs associated with carbon emissions. That's enough to provide electricity for about 220,000 homes in Louisiana, according toestimatesfrom the Solar Energy Industries Association, a trade group, and would constitute about a quarter of Entergy Louisiana's current total power production. Grid Constraints Stymie New Projects With many utilities and states in the Midwest and South (Louisiana most recently) aiming for 100 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. But that's what Entergy Mississippi is doing with their green pricing programs and I think there's a push to do that in Louisiana as well, a premium on top of your existing bill for a percentage of renewable resources. The West Baton Rouge Solar Farm being tied to Entergy has over 100,000 individual solar panels and is off Rosedale Road. Overall, D.E. 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. The solar farm has over 100,000 individual solar panels and is off of Rosedale Road. The Chalkley Solar Project has raised the ire of Calcasieu Parish who are worried about the projects size, appearance, and environmental impact. 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. How to build a hurricane proof solar unit. Web4 Utility-scale solar projects create an average of 3.3 jobs/MW according to SEIA. The disruption of Russian gas to Europe has raised prices, encouraging developers and fueling the buildout along the Gulf. Nearly 1 In 3 Homes In Australia Covered In Solar Panels, In Ultrathin Layers, NREL Researchers Find A Path To Better Materials, Solar Installation Growth Expected to Reach 700 GW by 2025, Green Hydrogen Project Is New Worlds Biggest, Utility-Scale Wind, Solar PV, & Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) Increased From 467 MW In 2013 To 6,230 MW In 2022 In South Africa, Energy Security Amid Heightened Global Tensions. The company doesn't typically invest in projects unless "power purchase agreements" at least 15 years or longer are available to justify financing used for solar power development. The project would support 160 construction jobs and create five jobs once built by 2024. 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. 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. The project includes 199 MW Sundance, 287 MW Maverick and 998 MW Traverse wind projects. West Baton Rouge Parish saw the state's first utility-scale solar farm, 50 megawatts, that is being connected to the power grid under a 20-year power supply contract with Entergy. WebFor more detailed information on certain projects, click the links below. Parish officials estimate that Pointe Coupee probably has room for one more solar farm at least for the next decade. Currently, about 60% of Entergy Louisiana's power comes from natural gas plants. This investment is another key step in SWEPCOs efforts to secure renewable, affordable energy and achieve a more balanced fuel mix, says Nicholas K. Akins, AEPs chairman, president and CEO. As of July, the only outside utility-scale solar project already selling power is in West Baton Rouge Parish and operated by a subsidiary of Helios Infrastructure, which acquired that project from its initial developers. Lighthouse already has more than 400 megawatts of solar connected to the grid with another 616 megawatts of power under construction. Wind got a plug recently during the opening session of a Climate Initiatives Task Force appointed by Gov. Tangipahoa, Washington, West Baton Rouge, Pointe Coupee, Calcasieu, Lafourche, Morehouse and many other parishes have been targeted for solar installations supplying utilities, eBay, McDonald's and other electricity buyers. New York City-based D.E. There was a problem saving your notification. Legal Notice Terms and Conditions Privacy Policy pv magazine 2023, Welcome to pv magazine USA. This content is protected by copyright and may not be reused. Bayou Galion, which is also a subsidiary of Canadian Solar, estimated that it would create three permanent jobs to run the solar farm and support 150 construction jobs starting in July 2022. Recurrent was chosen by the 1803 Electric Cooperative to be part of its portfolio of energy-supply projects to satisfy the next 20 years of demand from five Louisiana rural electric co-ops: Claiborne Electric, Northeast Louisiana Power, Washington-St. Tammany Electric, South Louisiana Electric Cooperative and Beauregard Electric. Solar Market Insight unless otherwise noted:http://www.seia.org/research-resources/us-solar-market-insight, 2Percentage of State's Electricity from Solar: Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly:http://www.eia.gov/electricity/monthly/#generation, 3Solar Jobs: The Solar Foundation, State Solar Jobs Census:http://www.thesolarfoundation.org/solar-jobs-census/states/, 4SEIA, National Solar Database:http://www.seia.org/research-resources/national-solar-database, 5SEIA, Major Solar Projects List:http://www.seia.org/research-resources/major-solar-projects-list, 7SEIA, Solar Means Business:https://www.seia.org/solar-means-business-report. 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New state legislation requires regulation for large-scale solar projects through the Department of Natural Resources, an agency that oversees natural gas and oil drilling. Louisiana is a rare Deep South state with a climate plan. D.E. There are various owners from around the world involved in the projects, some of the next-generation of wildcatters leasing land on the speculation projects can be financed, developed and the electricity generated can be sold to the highest bidder. https://pv-magazine-usa.com/2021/10/06/hurricane-resistant-solar-and-energy-storage-microgrid-to-be-built-in-puerto-rico/#respond, Court rules that inverter sizing guides grid connection, Retaining value for solar customers under California NEM 3.0 rule change, California pulls the plug on rooftop solar, U.S. 3127 and west of La. 20 and La. 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. State If so, couldnt this be raised to allow harvesting them? Amid public opposition, the parish Planning Commission denied them in May. Canadian Solar subsidiary Recurrent Energy is leading the development, a 98 megawatt project on 1,000 acres for $98 million. John Bel Edwards. Other energy options chosen to be part of the 1803 collection include solar plants in central and south Louisiana, a gas-fired power plant to be built in Iberville Parish and a power-supply component by the Exelon Corp. Our commission staff took several months to review this plan, Campbell said. Read our policy. If both end up completed, the projects would represent a nearly 400% increase in the states total installed solar capacity, which currently sits at roughly 190 MW, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA). The company has developed and financed more than 75 projects in California, North Carolina, Georgia, Colorado and Minnesota, with more than $750 million in projects totaling 1 gigawatt around the world. Advertise with CleanTechnica to get your company in front of millions of monthly readers. Observers and analysts say the solar farms are being driven into rural Louisiana because of the simple economics of cheaper power and the broader drive to stem climate change, which a United Nations panel said in February would amount to an existential threat to south Louisiana over the next half century. So far, D.E. Photovoltaic (PV) solar arrays capable of generating up to 100 MASSIVE Electric Bike Buyers Guide All the Biggest Brands & Models, NIO ES8 The Chinese Electric SUV Outselling The Tesla Model X, Nukes, Renewables, and the Union of Concerned Scientists, Reality Check Correcting the Cleantech Record, Solar Panel Installers Top Solar Panel Installers & How To Evaluate Them, Switching to an Electric Fleet Learn About Charging, Payments, & More, Testimonials: Why Readers Love CleanTechnica. Shaw was founded in 1988 by David E. Shaw, who holds a Ph.D. from Stanford and has expertise in computational biochemistry. Several Louisiana utilities have shown interest in solar. DESRI has executed a 20-year Renewable Energy Purchase Agreement (REPA) with SWEPCO to support the utilitys growing renewable energy portfolio and help power local customers electricity needs. David Dismukes, executive director of the LSU Center for Energy Studies, said solar developers are so interested in the Gulf South because in other parts of the nation where the regulatory push for renewables has been stronger and earlier, large pieces of land are less available. However, some residents have pushed back to include a local permitting process. Yes, but it's not cheap. Tim Sylvia was an editor at pv magazine USA. LIGHTSOURCE: The single largest solar project proposed is for 300 megawatts in Pointe Coupee Parish. The publicly traded utility that serves 1.3 million customers in the state has pledged to becarbon neutralby 2050. When it comes to the Dieselgate Settlement, the most well-known outcome (at least among EV enthusiasts and investors) is probably Electrify America. Solar panel technology is not new but the cost to build solar farms has dropped significantly in recent years. Among the wind turbine developments D.E. As in St. James, the solar farms in Washington Parish are expected to improve local tax collections. Two solar farms are near completion in St. James Parish by D.E. That solar movement in Louisiana, for now, is being driven by Entergy Louisiana as the purchaser of electricity through long-term contracts with companies that are building and operating solar farms. 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. I would hate for that to be what Washington Parish is known for.". 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. Some votes head to rural residents. 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