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. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Bookmark, share and interact with the leading solar construction magazine today. ), 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). How Do You Charge An Electric Car At Home? The developer of the solar farms in St. James, D.E. 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 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. The seven new proposed projects are: Kontiki Holdings LLC. Gov. Email David J. Mitchell at dmitchell@theadvocate.com. "'Cause if it's so good, why not wait a year and let us tell our residents just how good it is.". 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 Commissioner Foster Campbell, North Louisiana representative on the LPSC, said the Bayou Galion Solar Project will generate 98 megawatts of clean, renewable "That's the most valuable real estate we have. 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. Solar power companies are proposing another seven large-scale solar-power projects valued at about $1 billion in rural areas of southeast Louisiana at a time when the fledgling industry has drawn objections from rural residents and the scrutiny of parish officials, state lawmakers and regulators. 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. A 50 megawatt, $67 million solar power farm in West Baton Rouge Parish operated by Helios Infrastructure is operational. Other developers would have two projects each in West Baton Rouge and Morehouse parishes and one each in Washington, Pointe Coupee, Lafourche, East Feliciana and Beauregard parishes. Thibodaux Solar is not yet registered in Louisiana but is in Delaware, incorporated in mid-June this year as a shell business. The Prairie Ronde Solar project is expected to generate 327,000-megawatt hours, the average annual electricity consumption of 30,700 US homes. Over the next three years, there could be enough solar-generated electricity in Louisiana to power 60,000 homes in a state rich with oil and gas and crisscrossed with pipelines. By Davon Cole. ; the 200.6 You can also view the average costs for installing solar in Louisiana, based on real price data from installed systems and solar quotes. 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. Ecoplexus has done seven tax equity funds for financing 170 megawatts of solar projects worth $300 million since 2017. 3127 in Vacherie. Yes, but it's not cheap. Kontiki Holdings LLC. 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. 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. 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. That's being driven by environmental, social and corporate governance initiatives that institutional investors have embraced and by customer demand, he said.. "LED recognizes that many of our rural communities are valuable agricultural centers. 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. Ecoplexus executives did not respond to repeated requests for comment. Shaw Renewable Investments, supplies power to Entergy New Orleans. 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. Both projects are expected to reach commercial operation in mid But King, whose Franklinton area district has the two D.E. 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. Smoke from burning sugar cane fields creeps into this part of the West Baton Rouge Solar Farm. You have permission to edit this article. 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 cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible. "It's about striking a balance. Otherwise, your data will be deleted if pv magazine has processed your request or the purpose of data storage is fulfilled. Solar facilities also help diversify Louisianas electric generation sector. Any other transfer to third parties will not take place unless this is justified on the basis of applicable data protection regulations or if pv magazine is legally obliged to do so. New York City-based D.E. Other questions:subscriberservices@theadvocate.com. At least in his parish, early fears that solar panels would supplant farms across the parish don't appear to be realistic, Thibaut said. 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. 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. Lighthouse already has more than 400 megawatts of solar connected to the grid with another 616 megawatts of power under construction. Solar projects like this are being developed all over the state and nation, and they are a critical new part of our countrys energy industry.. The owner of the farm, D.E. Why Arent Energy Flows Diagrams Used More To Inform Decarbonization? Amid public opposition, the parish Planning Commission denied them in May. While some have welcomed the farms, several other parishes have tried to slow things down at least until better controls are in place. 3127 and west of La. 3127 in Vacherie. "Solar is no longer experimental," the utility told the state Public Service Commission last month. How to build a hurricane proof solar unit. Legal Notice Terms and Conditions Privacy Policy pv magazine 2023, Welcome to pv magazine USA. The Washington Parish solar farm is estimated to cost $75 million and in St. James $30 million, according to state economic incentives records.. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Shaw's projects are Iris Solar, 50 megawatts for $75 million, and Sunlight Road Solar, 50 megawatts for $56 million, both near Franklinton. 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 200.6 MW Diversion wind project in Baylor County, Texas; and the 598.4 MW Wagon Wheel wind project in Logan, Garfield and Noble counties, Okla. Invenergy is developing the three projects. Brookfield Properties Retail, Walmart, and Abita Brewing Some votes head to rural residents. Science? You have permission to edit this article. "With over 400 megawatts of new solar power projects planned in Louisiana, (D.E. Louisiana approves 4 solar projects for Entergy, a small It is planning a $145 million solar project in Beauregard Parish to start construction in 2023 and wrap up in 2024, supporting 250 construction jobs and yielding three permanent jobs. 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. "The resources that will replace this low-sulfur coal-powered generation will be a diverse mix of power generation, which will include zero-carbon renewable energy resources.". St. Jacques Solar LLC is proposing a 120-megawatt solar project in Vacherie, looking to spend $134 million supporting 300 construction jobs and one position once done in 2024. This information came from an advance notification filed with Louisianas economic development office. For example, there are more than two dozen solar projects being pitched for Louisiana, according to a grid operator planning map. 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", 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. That's the most valuable real estate, accessible to rail and river, and it's just taking away so many opportunities that could be other clean projects, as well, you know, that could actually bring jobs, and that's what our concern is," Dufresne told a few solar, utility and media representatives after a recent Parish Council meeting. The projects would support hundreds of construction jobs but create only a handful of permanent jobs once completed. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this. Washington Parish officials are looking at infrastructure and recreation with the new money, Parish Council member Carley King said. 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. THIBODAUX SOLAR: The Bayou region's first utility solar array, Thibodaux Solar Project, also known as Sunbeam 2, is proposed in Lafourche Parish. Parish officials hope to create new land use rules for the solar facilities. D. E. Shaw Renewable Investments (DESRI) announced the signing of a long-term renewable energy off-take agreement with Southwestern Electric Power Company A second solar project of previously unforeseen capacity could be coming to Louisiana, as local officials in Calcasieu Parish on Lake Charles, midway between New "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." 2023 Since Entergy announced it would be buying solar power, the demand for solar farms has increased. The Prairie Ronde solar project is expected to produce 327 GWh of electricity each year, equivalent to the energy demand of 30,700 U.S. homes. . Privately held Savion LLC is under Green Investment Group and an indirect subsidiary of publicly traded Macquarie Group in Australia. Southeast Louisiana is emerging as the hub for six of seven solar farms that would produce nearly 600 megawatts of electricity combined. Grid Constraints Stymie New Projects With many utilities and states in the Midwest and South (Louisiana most recently) aiming for 100 RECURRENT ENERGY:Outside of Bastrop in Morehouse Parish, a subsidiary of publicly traded Canadian Solar, which manufactures solar panels and constructs projects, is buildingBayou Galion Solar Project. Those jobs would end by December 2024. 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. Vacherie Solar Energy Center is proposed at the intersection of La. You have permission to edit this article. Shaw has signed deals with utilities such as Entergy New Orleans,but also with business customers such as Facebook for solar projects out West. As in St. James, the solar farms in Washington Parish are expected to improve local tax collections. By submitting this form you agree to pv magazine using your data for the purposes of publishing your comment. John Bel Edwards. Diversion is expected to reach commercial operation in December 2024. Savion Energy's Thibodaux project would be $200 million of investment for 200 megawatts of solar power. 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. These projects would also outpace SEIAs expectations for solar capacity additions in the state over the next five years, which currently sits at 507 MW. McDonalds corporation announced it signed a power purchase agreement for the entire production of a 180 MW solar project in Louisiana. The existing, smaller St. James Solar plant serves Entergy New Orleans to meet mandated renewable power goals in that city. Our DESRI team is pleased to partner with SWEPCO to deliver cost-effective clean power to customers across Louisiana, Arkansas, and Texas, said Hy Martin, chief development officer of DESRI.