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). Kelsey is managing editor of Solar Power World and host of the Contractor's Corner podcast. Solar developers take on module manufacturing risk. 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. Check out our Major Solar Projects List for more notable installations. Washington Parish officials are looking at infrastructure and recreation with the new money, Parish Council member Carley King said. Rocking R is part of DESRIs growing portfolio of solar facilities in Louisiana, bringing the total contracted portfolio size to over 500 MW in 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. Who owns all these solar 'farms' across Louisiana? You can also view the average costs for installing solar in Louisiana, based on real price data from installed systems and solar quotes. Thats right, Louisianas politicians who are owned by the fossil fuel industry suspended financial incentives for utility-scale solar projects. State records show that previously undisclosed projects seeking economic incentives include three in the St. James Parish community of Vacherie and one each in Thibodaux, Bogalusa, Singer and Franklinton. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this. The Louisiana Public Service Commission has approved a large-scale solar energy project in Morehouse Parish as part of a new power agreement involving rural electric cooperatives. The project is being developed by San Francisco-based Lightsource Renewable Energy Development LLC, which is the renewable energy arm for BP. "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.". The answers may surprise you. "It's a huge ag industry. If you're looking for information about local solar companies, check out EnergySage'slist of solar companies in Louisiana, where you can check out information about each company and see real customerreviews. However, The Advocate noted that it is still negotiating a deal. Get SEIA emails and stay on top of the latest solar news in your state. At least two of D.E. If you like what we do and want to support us, please chip in a bit monthly via, 70%, 80%, 99.9%, 100% Renewables Study Central, Clean tech and sustainability market research, Climate Change Solutions: Why 1.5C Is So Important, Electric Vehicle Sales Charts, Graphs, & Stats, Engage Global Competition: Technology for a Sustainable Future. Like any other industrial project, it's possible that not all the projects will be constructed. The 50-megawatt (MW) system is located in West Baton Rouge Parish, and it is now owned and operated by Helios. The existing, smaller St. James Solar plant serves Entergy New Orleans to meet mandated renewable power goals in that city. A 50 megawatt, $67 million solar power farm in West Baton Rouge Parish operated by Helios Infrastructure is operational. The farm, owned by the hedge fund D.E. But now he's. The company said "as existing resources are retired, replacement capacity is expected to come primarily from new renewable technologies.". While some have welcomed the farms, several other parishes have tried to slow things down at least until better controls are in place. The project would support 160 construction jobs and create five jobs once done in 2024.. The firm is part of Recurrent Energy Development Holdings, a North American solar-power and energy-storage developer. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Copyright 2023 WTWH Media, LLC. 20. 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. The developer of the solar farms in St. James, D.E. Currently, about 60% of Entergy Louisiana's power comes from natural gas plants. 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. That's being driven by environmental, social and corporate governance initiatives that institutional investors have embraced and by customer demand, he said.. By 2022 Entergy expects to have 381 megawatts of solar in its Arkansas portfolio.. There was a problem saving your notification. 20. D. E. Shaw Renewable Investments (DESRI) announced the signing of a long-term renewable energy off-take agreement with Southwestern Electric Power Company (SWEPCO). Southeast Louisiana is emerging as the hub for six of seven solar farms that would produce nearly 600 megawatts of electricity combined. A 50 megawatt, $67 million solar power farm in West Baton Rouge Parish operated by Helios Infrastructure is operational. However, some residents have pushed back to include a local permitting process. 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. "Solar projects represent an excellent community development opportunity for our rural parishes. 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 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. 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. Depcom Power, also based in Arizona, did the engineering, procurement and construction in addition to operations and maintenance for the solar project. State 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. Join our newsletter. Stay informed. Pointe Coupee Parish President Major Thibaut has been through the approval of a large solar facility in Ventress, the worries from his parish's large agricultural base and the creation of an ordinance addressing some of those issues. 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 disruption of Russian gas to Europe has raised prices, encouraging developers and fueling the buildout along the Gulf. Reached for comment, Clifford said he's no longer involved in the project. Cleco and Lafayette Utilities System are also in the market for renewable energy. Rocking R represents DESRIs first contract with SWEPCO, DESRIs first solar project in northern Louisiana, and the first utility-scale solar project built in the parish. With utilities such as Entergy, Cleco and LUS looking to buy renewable energy, another solar farm is being proposed in Louisiana. Rocking R is expected to deliver significant community benefits, including the creation of construction jobs. 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. Entergy Corp.has emerged as an important source of solar power demand. Parish officials hope to create new land use rules for the solar facilities. Bayou Galion by itself will generate enough power to supply more than 20,000 homes. 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. Ecoplexus executives did not respond to repeated requests for comment. 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 project would support 160 construction jobs and create five jobs once built by 2024. One of Louisianas largest solar power projects ever is now under construction. John Bel Edwards. 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). Solar Industry offers industry participants probing, comprehensive assessments of the technology, tools and trends that are driving this dynamic energy sector. However, the process is not far enough along for companies to start submitting proposals for projects. Why Arent Energy Flows Diagrams Used More To Inform Decarbonization? 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. Complete our National Solar Database Survey! "'Cause if it's so good, why not wait a year and let us tell our residents just how good it is.". The solar farm has over 100,000 individual solar panels and is off of Rosedale Road. 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. 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. Bayou Galion is hoping for an up to 80% property tax abatement for 10 years through Louisianas Industrial Tax Exemption Program. Next Era Energy, which has a significant renewable energy portfolio, particularly solar, dubbed the project as Beauregard Solar. Amazon is planning solar farms in St. Landry and Morehouse parishes as part of the online giants efforts to be entirely dependent on renewable energy by 2025. 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. John Bel Edwards' climate initiative calls for a vast "decarbonization" of Louisiana's industrial sector which contributes about 62% of Louisiana's greenhouse gases powering boilers and other equipment and sees the push toward renewable power as one of the ways to drive the state to "net-zero" carbon emissions by 2050. 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.. Photovoltaic (PV) solar arrays capable of generating up to 100 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. "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." Though St. James Solar sailed through the approval process in 2019, the new, larger additions have run into headwinds. 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. Some parishes have sought more control over solar project development, even going so far as to issue moratoriums on incentives and require special permitting.. Savion Energy's Thibodaux project would be $200 million of investment for 200 megawatts of solar power. 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.. "We want to work with the parish to address their concerns and find a middle ground," he said. 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. Tim covered project development, legal issues and renewable energy legislation, as well as contributed to the daily Morning Brief. The Vacherie Solar Energy Center (Vacherie) will be a 150-MW AC facility in St. James Parish, Louisiana; The SJ Louisiana Solar Project (SJ Solar) will be a 150-MW AC There is a seventh solar project on the books not yet seeking incentives. We also offer comprehensive global coverage of the most important solar markets worldwide. There's a solar farm movement coming to Louisiana; here's where these facilities are headed. 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 You may revoke this consent at any time with effect for the future, in which case your personal data will be deleted immediately. The second recently opened for 500 megawatts of power. There was a problem saving your notification. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. The owner of the farm, D.E. Solar projects are similar to any other real estate development with landowners, leases and even property flippers active in the market. All the projects have sought or are seeking public approval of 80% property tax breaks for up to 10 years through the state's Industrial Property Tax Exemption Program for projects on primarily agricultural land being transformed into industrial sites that typically last at least two decades. Some also called into question the local officials authority to grant the specific type of zoning exemption that was granted. 20 and La. Dufresne's and other local officials' concerns reflect the unease that has arisen among some in rural Louisiana over the proliferation of solar farms over thousands of acres agricultural land. 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 supply contract with Entergy, which has two open requests for proposals. As the number of solar projects continues to grow in Louisiana, a chief concern among Louisiana taxpayers is ensuring that these projects are properly decommissioning upon their abandonment. So far, D.E. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. This could power almost 21,000 homes. Otherwise, your data will be deleted if pv magazine has processed your request or the purpose of data storage is fulfilled. Yes, but it's not cheap. Both projects are expected to reach commercial operation in mid 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. An economic impact assessment from D.E. Shaw Renewable, also known as DESRI, said his company does not plan to appeal the St. James Parish Planning Commission's ruling but may seek to reapply once new rules are known. It is planning a Washington D.C.-area technology startup Helios Infrastructure is a joint venture between Sol Systems and Ohio giant Nationwide Insurance. Advocate noted that it is now owned and operated by Helios Infrastructure is.. `` as existing resources are retired, replacement capacity is expected to deliver community... 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