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. Rural residents have complained the solar farms are unsightly. Louisiana is a rare Deep South state with a climate plan. 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. 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. Email Kristen Mosbrucker atkmosbrucker@theadvocate.com. Photovoltaic (PV) solar arrays capable of generating up to 100 Complete our National Solar Database Survey! Copyright 2023 CleanTechnica. Hesaid the number of commercial-scalesolar farms is greatly limited by the capacity of the electrical grid to handle them. The five co-ops banded together to develop a replacement for their soon-to-expire power-supply contract with CLECO Cajun, a Louisiana company that is part of CLECO Power in Pineville. Kontiki was registered in Delaware as of August 2020 on behalf of Next Era, which is the publicly traded umbrella company for utilities such as Florida Power and Light, records show. Science? Local governments have been left to balance those concerns against the rights of landowners seeking lucrative solar leasing arrangements and the demand from utilities and big users, including major industrial operations, for more renewable power. "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." Shaw now has nearly 700 megawatts in construction and contracted clean power projects in Louisiana, the statement said. American Electric Powers SWEPCO Adds 200 MW Solar Project in Louisiana, 150 MW Lund Hill Solar Now Powering the Grid in Washington, New Report Analyzes Power Losses at Solar Facilities, Lightsource bp Inks Another Huge Order with First Solar, Silicon Ranch Commits to Purchasing 1.5 GW of Thin-Film PV Modules, AEP Energy Partners Signs PPA with Lightsource bp for Honeysuckle Solar, OCI Solar Power, Mitsui USA Joining Forces on Texas Projects, New Illinois Law Wipes Out Local Government Ability to Squash Renewables Projects, Dozens of NY Clean Energy Transmission Projects Obtain Regulatory Approval, California Utility Turning to Solar, Storage for Demand Response Program, Offshore Wind Startups Get a Spotlight During IPF 2023, Volvo Trucks Introduces Connected Vehicle Analytics Tool. Dufresne said he isn't against green energy and recognizes the short-term revenue benefits, but said he is looking at another bottom line. D.E. 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. Required fields are marked *. Some votes head to rural residents. In St. James, the solar farms are popping up in a parish where, for several years, new petrochemical and oil storage facilities, like Formosa, Petroplex, Wanhua, South Louisiana Methanol and others, have been proposed in primarily Black communities, riling environmentalists and some residents. 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. "So you know before we just hurry up and jump up and approve all these things, we want to know what the long-term effect is going to be for St. James Parish," Dufresne said. The retail giant has sought more access to renewable energy in the state, which has been a factor pushing the Cleco and Entergy moves forward. Looking for a local installer? Capital Region Solar Project . 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. Tim covered project development, legal issues and renewable energy legislation, as well as contributed to the daily Morning Brief. 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. D.E. WebNotable Installations in Louisiana LA3 West Baton Rouge Solar Facility in West Baton Rouge was developed by DEPCOM and came online in 2020. A newly constructed 50-megawatt solar farm on 560 acres in West Baton Rouge Parish that has a supply contract with Entergy Louisiana has been . Further information on data privacy can be found in our Data Protection Policy. Currently, about 60% of Entergy Louisianas power comes from natural gas plants. The second recently opened for 500 megawatts of power. Louisiana solar farms could see millions in incentives. Businesses which rely on oil and gas activity off Louisiana's coast fear that fossil fuels could track a similar demise as the coal industry a, The climate task force created by Gov. WebTo date, we operate solar projects in 27 states, and Tangipahoa will be one of the first solar projects in Louisiana. A $98 million solar farm in Morehouse Parish is looking for tax breaks for manufacturing renewable power, The Advocate reports. Privately held Savion LLC is under Green Investment Group and an indirect subsidiary of publicly traded Macquarie Group in Australia. While some have welcomed the farms, several other parishes have tried to slow things down at least until better controls are in place. Southeast Louisiana is emerging as the hub for six of seven solar farms that would produce nearly 600 megawatts of electricity combined. The solar and wind projects were identified through a competitive bidding process. 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. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. 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. 20. 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.". ", The statement said the states Board of Commerce and Industry, which oversees incentives, "will respectfully and fairly consider the expansion of solar power as part of its objective to help grow and retain jobs in Louisiana. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 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. Parish officials are worried the expanded solar farms could displace future homes, commercial businesses or industrial plants on the prime land near the Mississippi River. 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). "It's a huge ag industry. 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. The seven new proposed projects are: Kontiki Holdings LLC. It could produce 50 megawatts of power. 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. 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. Capital Region Solar is a planned 50-MW facility being built in West Baton Bayou Galion by itself will generate enough power to supply more than 20,000 homes. Amid public opposition, the parish Planning Commission denied them in May. 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 projects could support 1,000 construction jobs if built, but yield only two full-time positions once completed. Bogalusa West PV I LLC seeks to spend $200 million on a 200-megawatt solar project in Bogalusa, near La. "That's the most valuable real estate we have. KONTIKI HOLDINGS: A solar project in the town of Singer in Beauregard Parish owned by Kontiki Holdings LLC would span 1,970 acres and could produce 200 megawatts of electricity, at a construction cost of $145 million. ECOPLEXUS:A West Coast solar developer wants to drop $348 million across two solar projects in West Baton Rouge and East Feliciana parishes. The legislation passed. Features of the Beauregard Solar project: Photovoltaic (PV) solar arrays capable of generating up to 200 megawatts (MW) of clean, renewable energy. If all of them are built, the statewide total 1,908 megawatts is enough to power 190,800 homes, or a midsized city, based on estimates of 100 homes for each megawatt in a formulation used for Louisiana by the Solar Energy Industries Association.. "LED recognizes that many of our rural communities are valuable agricultural centers. "As we retire our low-sulfur coal-powered generation, Entergy will evaluate the appropriate mix of replacement resources as part of our continued effort to reliably provide power at the lowest reasonable costs, while mitigating customers exposure to cost and reliability risks," Entergy has said. Savion Energy's Thibodaux project would be $200 million of investment for 200 megawatts of solar power. New York City-based D.E. Local elected leaders will direct these new tax revenues to meet their current or future needs," LED Secretary Don Pierson said in the statement. Shaw Renewable Investments, has two in Washington also,Iris Solar and Sunlight Road Solar, and is one of several firms eying farms across the state. The projects would support hundreds of construction jobs but create only a handful of permanent jobs once completed. Tripp Roy, director of development for D.E. An empty field sits Thursday, July 7, 2022, just south of the St. James Solar farm located off La. Get SEIA emails and stay on top of the latest solar news in your state. Five of D.E. The exception was issued for the Chalkley Solar Project, named for a historic local family who founded the company that is leasing the land to Aurora. Two solar farms are near completion in St. James Parish by D.E. 2023 www.thenewsstar.com. https://pv-magazine-usa.com/2021/10/06/hurricane-resistant-solar-and-energy-storage-microgrid-to-be-built-in-puerto-rico/#respond Is this craw-fish country? The Chalkley Solar Project has raised the ire of Calcasieu Parish who are worried about the projects size, appearance, and environmental impact. 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. The project would support 160 construction jobs and create five jobs once built by 2024. "Because with solar, you want to get the biggest bang for your buck, so to speak, like you do with anything in life, but there's not big places in the country where you're going to get big chunks of land that you can dedicate to big solar projects like this and so that's why it's so attractive," Dismukes said. 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 Feliciana Parish and $240 million project in Bueche, north of Port Allen, in West Baton Rouge Parish. THIBODAUX SOLAR: The Bayou region's first utility solar array, Thibodaux Solar Project, also known as Sunbeam 2, is proposed in Lafourche Parish. Solar projects are similar to any other real estate development with landowners, leases and even property flippers active in the market. Lake Charles, LA (KPLC) - In a press release Tuesday, Entergy Louisiana announced it will be purchasing 475 megawatts of additional solar power from four solar facilities across the state. Check out our Major Solar Projects List for more notable installations. "It's a low-impact, high-value project. 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 Iris Solar site comprises 492 acres and the St. James site spans approximately 218 acres. So would a $145 million project proposed in Singer. A 50 megawatt, $67 million solar power farm in West Baton Rouge Parish operated by Helios Infrastructure is operational. . Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Published: Nov. 9, 2021 at 3:01 PM PST. The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible. A smaller 50-megawatt project in Washington Parish, located on Sunlight Road in Franklinton would cost $56 million, support 200 construction jobs and one job once done in 2023. 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. A lifelong sugar cane farmer in his first stint at politics, St. James Parish President Pete Dufresne has been an ardent backer of new industrial projects as needed job producers and tax revenue generators for his rural, blue-collar parish between Baton Rouge and New Orleans. D.E. D. E. Shaw Renewable Investments (DESRI) announced the signing of a long-term renewable energy off-take agreement with Southwestern Electric Power Company Solar Industry offers industry participants probing, comprehensive assessments of the technology, tools and trends that are driving this dynamic energy sector. pv magazine offers daily updates of the latest photovoltaics news. 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. There was a problem saving your notification. 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. For example, there are more than two dozen solar projects being pitched for Louisiana, according to a grid operator planning map. 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. 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. Stay informed. Several Louisiana utilities have shown interest in solar. The projects proposed in Vacherie would produce 120, 90 and 80 megawatts, with a 50-megawatt facility proposed for Franklinton. Shaw Renewable Investments, supplies power to Entergy New Orleans. Ecoplexus executives did not respond to repeated requests for comment. 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. Next Era Energy, which has a significant renewable energy portfolio, particularly solar, dubbed the project as Beauregard Solar. Read our policy. 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. Ventress Solar is proposed near New Roads and would span 2,732 acres. You have permission to edit this article. The Vacherie Solar Energy Center will be a 150 MW AC facility in St. James Parish in Louisiana. This information came from an advance notification filed with Louisianas economic development office. Entergy Louisiana has already made its final decisions with undisclosed companies for the 300-megawatt proposal. Cleco and Lafayette Utilities System are also in the market for renewable energy. 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 Wind projects create an average of 0.9 jobs/MW (50 projects/7,125 megawatts), and Louisiana (49 projects/6,714 megawatts). 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. This is a part of the West Baton Rouge Solar Farm. 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. Parish officials estimate that Pointe Coupee probably has room for one more solar farm at least for the next decade. 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. Wind got a plug recently during the opening session of a Climate Initiatives Task Force appointed by Gov. They also want to find more consistent and relatively cheap prices for power as a hedge against the fluctuations of fossil fuel-based electricity, these watchers say. Another big chunk comes from already carbon-free nuclear power, but the utility says it has been seeking solar developers since 2020 and hopes to have them to build 2,575 megawatts of solar power by 2025. You have permission to edit this article. 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. Patrick Courreges, DNR spokesman, said the rulemaking process is expected to start in August. Solar developers take on module manufacturing risk. Meanwhile, utilities and businesses are pursuing renewable sources of energy to help counter their use of power generated from fossil fuels. The project has drawn significant opposition from locals, however with more than 1,000 names being presented in opposition at the zoning meeting. 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 has backed financially across North America is the nation's first offshore wind project, Block Island Wind Farm off the coast of Rhode Island, which drew offshore and fabrication expertise from companies in Louisiana. This content is protected by copyright and may not be reused. There was a problem saving your notification. Complete our National Solar Database Survey! 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. :Climate change denial on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and TikTok is as bad as ever. 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. "Studying land use and the impact industry may have on the surrounding area is reasonable, but in states across the country and in regions around the world, solar enterprises have developed cooperative relationships with neighboring communities that have made both parties profitable," retired Army Lt. Gen. Russel Honor said in a statement. If so, couldnt this be raised to allow harvesting them? In Louisiana, with its long hot summers and wet chilly winters, one megawatt powers the equivalent of 100 homes. 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. 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. Why Arent Energy Flows Diagrams Used More To Inform Decarbonization? 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. Shaw is planning $484 million of investment in Louisiana spread across six disclosed projects that are seeking economic incentives or already had them approved. 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. Thibodaux Solar is owned by Kansas City, Missouri-based Savion Energy, which has more than 100 solar projects in various stages across 27 states. 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 The farm, owned by the hedge fund D.E. 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. Shaw has signed deals with utilities such as Entergy New Orleans,but also with business customers such as Facebook for solar projects out West. 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. The Washington Parish solar farm is estimated to cost $75 million and in St. James $30 million, according to state economic incentives records..
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