Colorado Construction & Design® magazine’s Post

"Marty, I'm sorry, but the only power source capable of generating 1.21 gigawatts of electricity is a bolt of lightning!" ⚡ Platte River Power Authority and Qcells USA Corp broke ground on northern Colorado's largest solar generation project on July 10, 2024. The site is located northeast of Black Hollow Reservoir, near the Town of Severance, CO - the infrastructure will utilize nearly 1,400 acres. The first phase of the project is expected to be complete in May of 2025 and will deliver approximately 367,000 megawatt-hours (MWh) of energy annually to Estes Park, Fort Collins, Longmont and Loveland. Phase two of Black Hollow Solar will add an additional 107 MW of capacity in 2026, totaling 257 MW for this project. This is enough to power over 63,000 homes and will increase Platte River's total solar capacity to 309 MW. https://lnkd.in/en8zMt8a Follow Colorado Construction & Design® magazine for more great quotes from the classic blockbuster movie, Back to the Future! More importantly, never miss out on what's being built next in the Colorado construction industry. #takingittothelimit #renewableenergy #coloradoconstruction #solarenergy #constructionindustry #lowcarbonfuture #backtothefuture

The Ohio Power Siting Board has given the green light to Savion’s Oak Run solar project; a massive 800 MW utility-scale solar facility paired with 300 MW of energy storage. Despite facing “not-in-my-backyard” opposition, the project is set to be built on 6,000 acres in Madison County, Ohio, and is expected to generate significant local tax revenue, estimated between $242 million and $504 million over its 30 to 35-year lifespan. The construction phase is anticipated to create over 3,000 jobs, with 63 permanent positions following completion. The project, which includes Tesla battery energy storage and modules from top-tier providers, is slated to begin operations in phases starting in 2025. Read more:   https://lnkd.in/ePwecJKP #energystorage #bess #solar #solarpower #sinovoltaics #innovativeinsider

The Gemini solar-plus-storage project, a monumental stride in the U.S. clean energy transition, is now operational near Las Vegas, Nevada. Boasting 1.8 million solar panels and a 380 MW battery storage system, it's set to meet a whopping 10% of Nevada's peak power demand. This project is not just about power; it's a testament to innovative ecosystem management, reducing typical solar plant footprint by over 20% while generating up to 690 MW of energy. Financed by a groundbreaking $1.9 billion deal, Gemini has created around 1,300 jobs and contributed approximately $463 million to the local economy. With a 25-year power purchase agreement with NV Energy, this project is a beacon of sustainable development, powering the present and illuminating the future. Read More: https://lnkd.in/gUsBXqKz #solar #solarpower #bess #energystorage #sinovoltaics #innovativeinsider #QualityAssurance #QA

Project developers, policymakers and think tanks working in the capital-intensive arena of energy development say a new Montana-North Dakota high-voltage transmission line could be a game changer for an area of the American West that’s seen limited expansion to its power grid in four decades. The North Plains Connector Line would be the region’s first major grid expansion since the construction of a 500-kilovolt line that carries power from the Colstrip coal-fired power plant to population centers in the Pacific Northwest in the mid-1980s. Late last year, Minnesota-based energy company ALLETE and Grid United, a Houston-based transmission developer, announced their partnership on a proposal to build a $3.2 billion transmission line from Colstrip to central North Dakota. The companies are billing the roughly 400-mile line as a “long-term energy infrastructure asset” that will help utilities access new regional energy markets, meet rising electricity demand and become more resilient to grid-straining cold snaps and heat waves. Stakeholders like Kyle Unruh, with renewable energy advocacy organization Renewable Northwest, also describe the North Plains Connector Line as an opportunity for Montana to reap some of the economic benefits accompanying an “explosion” of demand for new power generation — renewable generation in particular. It would do that by allowing a significant amount of electricity to flow between national energy markets.  https://lnkd.in/dqwGExd8

Intersect Power is set to expand its footprint in Texas with $837 million in financing for three major battery installations. Expected to be operational by 2024, these projects will add nearly 1 gigawatt-hour of energy storage capacity, bolstering Texas' booming storage market. CEO Sheldon Kimber envisions a future where industrial facilities connect directly to massive solar and battery projects. While this vision is still on the horizon, Intersect Power is making significant strides with its Lumina I, Lumina II, and Radian battery projects. These installations will store solar power from Intersect’s Lumina and Radian projects, providing additional flexibility to the state. The financing includes construction and term debt from HPS Investment Partners, LLC and Deutsche Bank, along with tax equity from Morgan Stanley. Kimber emphasized the importance of battery storage, noting that it supports grid resilience and capitalizes on renewable energy's peak-to-trough energy arbitrage. #renewableenergy #energystorage #cleanenergy #intersectpower #texas #solarpower #sustainability #gridresilience #batterystorage #batterie #cleanenergytransition

The DOE’s Solar Access Program, funded by the Puerto Rico Energy Resilience Fund, is planning to install up to 30,000 solar+storage systems for low-income households in Puerto Rico. This initiative targets those facing frequent power outages or with medical conditions dependent on electricity. The DOE has been actively tracking power outages, emphasizing the urgency of modernizing Puerto Rico's grid. Despite an influx of upgrades to the grid, the system remains fragile. The department expects to deploy over 3,000 systems by year-end, with no upfront costs for recipients aside from maintenance fees. The DOE's study suggests that Puerto Rico can achieve 100% renewable energy by 2050, requiring significant energy storage and both utility-scale and distributed renewable resources. The DOE is collaborating with renewable energy developers to secure federally backed loans for new projects, aiming to upgrade the island's energy stability. #CleanEnergy #EnergyInvestment #Solar https://lnkd.in/gQRcjc_k

When in CA, post about CA... April 25 - California is pushing ahead with its energy transition objectives in its latest annual transmission plan, published this month. State grid operator CAISO proposes to invest $6.1 billion in 26 grid improvements to connect new renewable energy projects by 2035, it said. The draft plan will support 38 GW of new solar capacity, in areas such as the Westlands area in the Central Valley and areas in the south near the city of Tehachapi, Kramer in San Bernardino County and Riverside County, as well as in southern Nevada and western Arizona. Most of these grid projects involve upgrading existing grid infrastructure, such as installing transformers or stringing new conductors to existing towers. https://lnkd.in/ekTdHc_8

Environment America made a series of policy recommendations for states and local governments to help tap the massive potential of U.S. rooftop solar in a recent report. First, it recommends that states update their grid interconnection policies to align with best practices and recommends referencing IREC's Model Interconnection Procedures to support beneficial interconnection procedures (https://lnkd.in/eFNuu2yp). For permitting, it recommends cities and counties to establish online automated permitting systems for small onsite solar project. SolarAPP+, developed by National Renewable Energy Laboratory, is a free online automated permitting software for local governments (https://lnkd.in/ek2am3kU). Read more recommendations below! https://lnkd.in/evvgWhzf

🌞🔋 Did you know? The US's largest solar + storage project just lit up! The 1-GWDC Gemini Solar + Storage, powering Las Vegas and beyond, is now grid-connected! 💡🎰 #RenewableEnergy #SolarPower #Innovation 📈 **Summary:** The Gemini Solar + Storage project, a collaborative endeavor by Primergy Solar and Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners, has officially connected to the US grid. This monumental project will supply energy primarily to Las Vegas, along with other communities in Nevada and the Southwest, setting a new benchmark for integrated solar and battery energy storage systems (BESS). 🚀 **Insights:** This breakthrough showcases significant advancements in renewable energy scalability and storage solutions. For businesses, investing in similar technologies could mean enhanced energy security and reduced environmental impact. Considering the increasing demand for sustainable energy solutions, now is ideal for exploring renewable energy investments. 💬 What are your thoughts on the potential impacts of this project on the energy landscape? Do you see a shift towards more such large-scale renewable projects? Share below! 👍 or 👎 📲🔄 Feel free to share this post to spread the word on sustainable energy advancements! #SustainableDevelopment #CleanEnergy #FutureIsNow 🔗 For more details, tap in! ✨

This article by Daniel Moore sheds an important light on the challenges facing electricity system operators across the country. The U.S. power grid is facing a critical bottleneck: more than 2,000 GW of potential power is stuck in connection queues nationwide. That’s roughly twice the country’s installed power plant capacity. This underscores the pressing need for system operators to revamp the grid-connection process to filter out speculative proposals and enhance requirements for developers to demonstrate they’re serious about following through on proposals. This will prevent legitimate, impactful projects from experiencing costly and unnecessary delays. Intersect Power's 679 MWp / 1 GWh Oberon Solar + Storage project in Riverside County, CA, is a standout example of the preparation and dependability that projects should embody. Built on BLM-managed public land by American labor with domestic-sourced equipment, this project achieved commercial operation last month and is now generating enough clean energy to power over 207,000 homes a year, demonstrating the success that well-planned and executed projects can achieve. If we're serious about our country's goal of 100% clean electricity by 2035, it's projects that are ready to deliver reliable clean energy that need to be prioritized for grid connection moving forward. This is how we make a difference. https://lnkd.in/dE997iTn