An economic impact assessment from D.E. However, some residents have pushed back to include a local permitting process. The $89 million project would produce 80 megawatts of power, support 250 construction jobs and employ one person once completed in 2023. Legal Notice Terms and Conditions Privacy Policy pv magazine 2023, Welcome to pv magazine USA. The latest plans roughly double the number of solar power projects planned in Louisiana to more than a dozen. 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. "I think one of the big challenges that we're seeing here is that solar power, wind power or renewable energy shouldn't just mean a higher cost (for ratepayers)," said Jessica Hendricks, state policy director for the Alliance for Affordable Energy, a New Orleans-based nonprofit organization. Shaw Renewable Investments, supplies power to Entergy New Orleans. Entergy Louisiana has already made its final decisions with undisclosed companies for the 300-megawatt proposal. There was a problem saving your notification. 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 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. Shaw has signed deals with utilities such as Entergy New Orleans,but also with business customers such as Facebook for solar projects out West. Diversion is expected to reach commercial operation in December 2024. Neither of those companies were the original developer of the project. 21 and Parish Road 88. Meanwhile, institutional investors are eager to snap up market share for their investment portfolios to meet sustainability commitments. Stay informed. Ecoplexus executives did not respond to repeated requests for comment. Overall, D.E. Entergy noted that it is exploring using existing coal facilities for solar generation or solar generation with gas-powered backup under a directive from a Louisiana Public Service commissioner. The company has been led by Erik Stuebe since 2008 and has brokered deals with utilities such as Duke Energy, Pacific Gas and Electric and Georgia Power, among others. The project encompasses approximately 1,970 acres. Bayou Galion is hoping for an up to 80% property tax abatement for 10 years through Louisianas Industrial Tax Exemption Program. 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. 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 . Information on the projects was contained in documents seeking state economic incentives through the Industrial Tax Exemption Program for manufacturers, which could mean an 80% property tax abatement for up to 10 years on the projects if approved by the school boards, sheriffs and councils in those parishes. 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. 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. Solar facilities also help diversify Louisianas electric generation sector. 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. Check out our Major Solar Projects List for more notable installations. That was Eagle Solar Group, which hails from Arizona. New solar farm in West Baton Rouge with Entergy electricity contract sold; more under construction, Lafayette Utilities System trying to go green with solar energy push; seeking proposals, West Baton Rouge leaders pump brakes on solar farm construction to address resident complaints, With more solar farms in the works, West Baton Rouge leaders move to require permits, A reeling Louisiana oil and gas industry anticipates another setback: Loss of federal subsidies, Economic incentives unanimously approved for $410M ExxonMobil project, new $308M solar farm, New $98M solar farm pitched in Louisiana as utilities look to buy more renewable power, Louisiana businesses face reality of no new federal offshore leases anytime soon. Though Nationwide does not operate the solar array on a day-to-day basis, it does have a controlling interest as a financial backer, according to a federal master lease agreement on file. The Vacherie Solar Energy Center will be a 150 MW AC facility in St. James Parish in Louisiana. 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. All Rights Reserved. Yes, but it's not cheap. 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. That meeting marked the first time that the 23 representatives of industry, environmental groups, various state communities, state government officials and scientists met to create a greenhouse gas reduction strategy that would result in the state's emissions dropping by between 25% and 28% by 2025, and meet a "net zero" emissions goal by 2050. Email David J. Mitchell at dmitchell@theadvocate.com. 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. 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 Orleans and Houston, Texas, have approved a zoning exception for developer Aurora Solar, a subsidiary of Avangrid Renewables. Currently, about 60% of Entergy Louisiana's power comes from natural gas plants. 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. "I think there's a point to where, you know, you don't want to have this just all over the parish and every time you turn around, you're seeing a solar farm," King said. Capital Region Solar Project . We also offer comprehensive global coverage of the most important solar markets worldwide. "It's economics driven," said Richard E. Walsh, managing partner at Madison Energy Investments, a New York-based fund that invests in renewable energy projects such as solar. The projects could support 1,000 construction jobs if built, but yield only two full-time positions once completed. LIGHTSOURCE: The single largest solar project proposed is for 300 megawatts in Pointe Coupee Parish. Lightsource bp is developing the project, which will be located 30 miles northwest of Baton Rouge in Pointe Coupee Parish. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. 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. She also gardens, collects interesting minerals and can be found on TikTok. The project has drawn significant opposition from locals, however with more than 1,000 names being presented in opposition at the zoning meeting. Your email address will not be published. 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. I am confident that it will provide reliable and inexpensive power to these Louisiana co-ops for years to come.. The content produced by this site is for entertainment purposes only. The Louisiana Public Service Commission (LPSC) has approved a power purchase agreement for the 132 MW DC /98 MW AC Bayou Galion solar project developed by Recurrent Energy and located in Morehouse Parish in Northeast Louisiana. There was a problem saving your notification. Bayou Galion Solar Projfect LLC, which is a subsidiary of Recurrent Energy Development Holdings, proposed building a 98.1-megawatt solar farm on 1,000 acres leased from landowners outside of Bastrop. Of the 16 solar power farms proposed in Louisiana, nearly half are controlled by an East Coast hedge fund with an appetite for solar and wind projects contained in a growing $15 billion renewable power portfolio. Solar energy is sustainable and renewable and contributes to progress toward lower greenhouse gas emissions. ", 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. 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.. 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. Your email address will not be published. It would support 250 jobs and one job once built by June 2024. "It would be difficult to make a prediction as of what percent of these projects, and or what other projects that are not listed here, move forward," said Greg Upton, associate professor at the Center for Energy Studies at LSU.. ), 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). For example, D.E. At least in his parish, early fears that solar panels would supplant farms across the parish don't appear to be realistic, Thibaut said. 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 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.". NEW ORLEANS (AP) Solar power companies are looking to build at least seven big projects in rural Louisiana, including three in one unincorporated community. Tripp Roy, director of development for D.E. Read our policy. 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. Parish officials hope to create new land use rules for the solar facilities. Why these Louisiana fossil fuel land scouts are jumping into the solar power business, Who owns all these solar 'farms' across Louisiana? St. James Solar III LLC is looking at the same intersection in Vacherie for a $100 million project to produce 90 megawatts of electricity. 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. They could be looking to add renewable power generation on their own often expansive landholdings, potentially adding a future wrinkle to the land use questions raised by solar sites. Complete our National Solar Database Survey! Shaw is planning $484 million of investment in Louisiana spread across six disclosed projects that are seeking economic incentives or already had them approved. Patrick Courreges, DNR spokesman, said the rulemaking process is expected to start in August. The farm, owned by the hedge fund D.E. 20. By 2022 Entergy expects to have 381 megawatts of solar in its Arkansas portfolio.. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Bookmark, share and interact with the leading solar construction magazine today. 2023 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. Bogalusa West PV I LLC seeks to spend $200 million on a 200-megawatt solar project in Bogalusa, near La. 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. Could support 1,000 construction jobs if built, but yield only two full-time positions once completed in 2023 to $. 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