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 But it's unclear whether the addition of solar energy to the grid, the cheapest new construction electricity option on the market, would drive down electric bills for commercial and residential customers. Entergy is following a similar plan to hit "net-zero" emissions by 2050 and stop the use of coal that represents 4% of its owned and leased electricity generation portfolio. Dufresne said he isn't against green energy and recognizes the short-term revenue benefits, but said he is looking at another bottom line. SWEPCO is seeking approval from regulators in Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas to acquire the 200 MW Mooringsport solar project in Caddo Parish, La. In Louisiana, with its long hot summers and wet chilly winters, one megawatt powers the equivalent of 100 homes. Currently, about 60% of Entergy Louisianas power comes from natural gas plants. Shaws Louisiana projects are among a much larger nationwide portfolio controlled by the hedge fund producing more than 2,900 megawatts of power generated from the sun and more than 500 megawatts from wind, records show. Add to that, more than 100 megawatts of electricity already being generated from privately-owned solar panels sitting on the rooftops of individual residences or on commercial buildings. The Iris Solar project in Washington Parish and St. James Solar project in St. James Parish represent the largest solar facility currently under construction in Louisiana Other questions:subscriberservices@theadvocate.com. This 74.5 MW project produces enough electricity to power 7,991 homes. Solar power is clean, its cheap, and its a great way to make electricity, Campbell said. Shaw Renewable Investments, is seeking to expand its solar operation on vacant fields like this one around the existing solar operation. LIGHTSOURCE: The single largest solar project proposed is for 300 megawatts in Pointe Coupee Parish. Galehead boasted one project with a "Southeastern U.S.-based landowner who owns approximately 400,000 acres across 500 distinct parcels spanning four states." Along the Mississippi River, St. James' large tracts of agricultural land with roads, rail, pipeline and power have made the parish one of Louisiana's hot spots for industrial growth with the generally cheap natural gas prices of the past 10 to 15 years. WebWashington, D.C. Today, Helios Infrastructure (Helios), a joint venture between Nationwide and Sol Systems, announced its acquisition of the largest solar power project in Louisiana. This could power almost 21,000 homes. 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. You have permission to edit this article. Join our newsletter. 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 nearly 600 megawatts of electricity the Entergy-linked solar farms will generate for the power grid would match the production of one smaller-scale natural gas-fired power plant and be a small portion the power produced in the state. John Bel Edwards. A state board that oversees economic development incentives for manufacturers previously voted to pause any new property tax incentives for solar farms, but recently reversed course and approved contracts to be reviewed at the local level for 10-year tax breaks. Ecoplexus executives did not respond to repeated requests for comment. 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. Who's getting the real benefit of these solar panels," he added. 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. AEP remains focused on adding approximately 16 gigawatts of regulated renewables to our generation portfolio by 2030 and reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.. If you want to cooperate with us and would like to reuse some of our content, please contact: editors@pv-magazine.com. The developer of the solar farms in St. James, D.E. 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. She also gardens, collects interesting minerals and can be found on TikTok. That requires big tracts of land, often former family farms, which has created pushback from farmers in Louisiana, who say they can't compete with the solar industry's lease payments for land. Thibodaux Solar is not yet registered in Louisiana but is in Delaware, incorporated in mid-June this year as a shell business. DESRI will be the long-term owner and operator. Shaw Investments are under construction: the Iris project in Washington Parish on LSU AgCenter property and in St. James Parish totaling another 70 megawatts of solar power for the grid in 2021. "'Cause if it's so good, why not wait a year and let us tell our residents just how good it is.". Advertise with CleanTechnica to get your company in front of millions of monthly readers. The publicly traded utility that serves 1.3 million customers in the state has pledged to becarbon neutralby 2050. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this. Only one of the 16 is operational so far, with two of D.E. The Valley is typically viewed as San More wind energy and interregional transmission could have mitigated the impacts of rolling blackouts experienced during Decembers winter storm. Diversion is expected to reach commercial operation in December 2024. Who owns all these solar 'farms' across Louisiana? This summer, Cleco sought help from an independent consultant to structure its new venture into building a solar farm portfolio, according to Louisiana Public Service Commission records. Thibodaux Solar Project LLC looks to spend $200 million on a 200 megawatt solar farm in Lafourche Parish near Rosedown Drive and Levert Road in Thibodaux. The farm, owned by the hedge fund D.E. 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. "The calls for further evaluation by the Council is especially rich given how freely its members have allowed the petrochemical industry to expand in majority Black areas.". According to Auroras zoning exception application, the Chalkey project would use roughly one million solar modules and have a nameplate capacity between 300 and 400 MW. 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. The projects would support hundreds of construction jobs but create only a handful of permanent jobs once completed. 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. I mean these thousands of acres of solar farms is not bringing any jobs, and who's getting the benefit? It could produce 50 megawatts of power. Some votes head to rural residents. 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. At least one company, San Francisco-based Ecoplexus, has emerged as a potential bidder for two of the three solar farms: a $308 million project in Pride in East Created by, the average costs for installing solar in Louisiana. The agency hosted contentious hearings this week to solicit comments from landowners, farmers and solar developers about potential regulation. Shaw solar farms, said he and many of his constituents accustomed to the parish's pastures and forests don't want to see too many more solar panels popping up even with the new ordinance in place. The company said "as existing resources are retired, replacement capacity is expected to come primarily from new renewable technologies.". Other questions:subscriberservices@theadvocate.com. The aesthetics of acres of reflecting panels, their hum as they track the sun, long-term cleanup, displacement of the agricultural economy and low long-term job potential have all emerged as worries, despite the short-term boost in construction jobs and sales tax collections and the long-term property tax rise over land under agricultural tax exemptions. If utilities modernize the way they select the resources they run each day, they can save carbon and reduce energy prices. Solar Industry offers industry participants probing, comprehensive assessments of the technology, tools and trends that are driving this dynamic energy sector. WebFor more detailed information on certain projects, click the links below. Entergy Louisiana has already made its final decisions with undisclosed companies for the 300-megawatt proposal. The Iris Solar site comprises 492 acres and the St. James site spans approximately 218 acres. By 2022 Entergy expects to have 381 megawatts of solar in its Arkansas portfolio.. A 50 megawatt, $67 million solar power farm in West Baton Rouge Parish operated by Helios Infrastructure is operational. Solar developers take on module manufacturing risk. Depcom Power, also based in Arizona, did the engineering, procurement and construction in addition to operations and maintenance for the solar project. Even without government subsidy, utility-scale projects of 10 megawatts of solar power and above, is the cheapest form of electricity, according to global research firm Lazard. Five of D.E. ; the 200.6 So would a $145 million project proposed in Singer. Washington D.C.-area technology startup Helios Infrastructure is a joint venture between Sol Systems and Ohio giant Nationwide Insurance. 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. The existing, smaller St. James Solar plant serves Entergy New Orleans to meet mandated renewable power goals in that city. 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. The 1,970-acre project, which could produce 200 megawatts of electricity, is expected to be along Bucket Road in Singer. The farm is located just north of La. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Bookmark, share and interact with the leading solar construction magazine today. D.E. 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. Hold Ctrl or Cmd to select multiple editions. Privately held Savion LLC is under Green Investment Group and an indirect subsidiary of publicly traded Macquarie Group in Australia. The Sierra Club environmental group recently conducted a report that asserts it would be cheaper in the long-run to replace coal-fired power plants with utility-scale solar and wind projects in Louisiana. With the exception of Petroplex, however, which would have been in residentially zoned areas in Vacherie near where the solar farms are proposed, critics haven't seen parish officials as willing to oppose the facilities, make changes to the land use plan that targeted new industry in majority Black areas or consider a call for a sweeping moratorium on new industry in 2019. The project is expected to sit on roughly 2,400 acres of lower-value farmland off of Highway 14, with Aurora specifically choosing lower-value farmland so as not to occupy what could otherwise be lucrative land. We've already went through the dairy farms having to sell out and shut down. If you can lock in that long-term pricing then the customers have a better chance of receiving those benefits as opposed to shouldering those costs.". That's being driven by environmental, social and corporate governance initiatives that institutional investors have embraced and by customer demand, he said.. Cleco and Lafayette Utilities System are also in the market for renewable energy. The new and previously disclosed projects would cover tens of thousands of acres of largely farm and timber land, leased from landowners. Mooringsport and Wagon Wheel are expected to come online in December 2025. John Bel Edwards, the Deep Souths only Democratic governor, brought together people from across a broa. 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. You can also view the average costs for installing solar in Louisiana, based on real price data from installed systems and solar quotes. 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. ), BidenHarris Administration Announces $74 Million to Advance Enhanced Geothermal Systems, In 2021, 20% Of Electricity In The US Was Generated From Renewable Sources, Stellantis Takes On Two Partners To Reduce EV Production Emissions, Guiding Principles For EV Battery Recycling Policy, NIO Builds Battery Factory, CATL Reacts, Lithium Prices Implode, Central Heat Pump Water Heaters Can Act As Massive Water Batteries, Seattle Pilot Project Shows, Li-Cycle Scores $375 Million DOE Battery Recycling Development Loan, A Conversation on the Latest and Greatest on Vanadium Batteries (Video), PG&E Will Test Tesla & Sonnen Virtual Power Plant Technology, Sonnen & TenneT Power German Grid With Electric Cars, 1st Virtual Power Plant from SolarEdge Supporting UK Grid, Google, Ford, GM, & Solar Companies Partner To Promote Scaling Of Virtual Power Plants, Vehicle-To-Grid Solutions Could Open Fast Lane To Net-Zero Future, Breaking Barriers to Home Electrification Through the EAS-E Prize, We Spend $850 a Year on Clean Energy for Our Home & Car (One Fifth the National Average). The projects will create more than 5000 jobs and avoid more than 900,000 tons of CO2 Madrid, 1 March 2023 Lightsource bp, a world leader in the development and Shaw's projects are in St. James Parish; its other two are in Washington Parish. The 50-megawatt (MW) system is located in West Baton Rouge Parish, and it is now owned and operated by Helios. Two solar farms are near completion in St. James Parish by D.E. Rural Louisiana could see 7 new large-scale solar projects worth nearly $1 billion; see map. To make that happen, the company expects in the future to stop using coal at Nelson 6 in Louisiana and at its Arkansas coal plants by 2030. Vacherie Solar Energy Center is proposed at the intersection of La. 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). Shaw Renewable Investments) is enthusiastic about the opportunity to invest in a welcoming state economic environment while working in close partnership with local communities," said Hy Martin, commercial development officer for the company. Some also called into question the local officials authority to grant the specific type of zoning exemption that was granted. Solar facilities also help diversify Louisianas electric generation sector. ", Rural Louisiana residents will vote on more tax breaks for solar farms popping up across the state., Most of the projects are seeking Industrial Tax Exemption Program incentives, which could be up to 80% property tax abatement up to 10 years. Near Vacherie would be St. James Solar, 20 megawatts for $30 million; St. James Solar II, for which further information was not available; St. James Solar III, 90 megawatts for $100 million, Vacherie Solar Energy Center LLC, 80 megawatts for $89 million; and St. Jacques Solar, 120 megawatts for $134 million. "With over 400 megawatts of new solar power projects planned in Louisiana, (D.E. Many are also seeking eligibility for the state's Quality Jobs program, which is acash rebate to companies up to 6% for no more than 10 years in addition to state sales and use tax rebate on capital expenditures., As a geologist, Kirk Barrell has studied what lies below ground for decades on the hunt for oil and gas pockets across Louisiana. Reached for comment, Clifford said he's no longer involved in the project. 3127 and west of La. The answers may surprise you. D.E. Louisiana Department of Natural Resources, U.S. Energy Information Administration Louisiana State Profile, http://www.seia.org/research-resources/us-solar-market-insight, http://www.eia.gov/electricity/monthly/#generation, http://www.thesolarfoundation.org/solar-jobs-census/states/, http://www.seia.org/research-resources/national-solar-database, http://www.seia.org/research-resources/major-solar-projects-list, https://www.seia.org/solar-means-business-report. Other questions:subscriberservices@theadvocate.com. Further information on data privacy can be found in our Data Protection Policy. 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