Duke Energy hits 1 GW owned solar, 74.5 MW coming to Escambia: pvMB 7/3/19

Duke Energy hits 1 GW owned solar – With the North Rosamond Solar Facility coming online last month in California, Duke Energy has passed the 1-gigawatt (GW) threshold of utility-scale owned and operated solar facilities nationwide. Throughout the decade, Duke Energy has been building a solar portfolio that now includes almost 70 sites in 10 states, with a total capacity of 1.1 GW. At peak output, that could serve energy to approximately 2 million homes… In addition to owning and operating solar facilities, Duke Energy is one of the largest purchasers of solar power in the nation for its customers. Currently, the company purchases the output from more than 3 GW of capacity in states where it serves retail customers. Taken together, the 4 GW of owned and purchased renewables make up more than 9% of Duke Energy’s generated electricity. Source: Duke Energy

74.5 MW coming to Escambia – West Bogia Road in Escambia County, Florida is getting some new development, 74.5 MW, specifically. And, while this is the exact capacity that’s been put forth in all of FPL’s announced “30×30” projects, this one is set to be developed by Gulf Power. The project, dubbed the Gulf Power Cotton Creek Solar Energy Center will sit on 640 and will dethrone the 50 MW Saufley Field solar project as the largest in Gulf Power’s portfolio. Source: NorthEscambia.com

Bloom Energy goes hydrogen – Bloom Energy announced a new capability that efficiently delivers always-on, 100% renewable electric power with no emissions 24 hours per day, 365 days per year… Current Bloom Energy Servers generate electricity using natural gas or biogas as fuel. Deployed by 25 of the Fortune 100, Bloom Energy Servers already reduce greenhouse-gas emissions by amounts comparable to zero-emission wind and solar power on an annual basis. The ability to operate on renewable hydrogen means Bloom Energy Servers installed today to run on natural gas can be readily upgraded in situ to use renewable hydrogen in future. Renewable hydrogen is becoming more available in some states and countries. It is produced by breaking down water into hydrogen and oxygen using electrolysis and renewable power. More than 200 water electrolysis projects have come online since 2000 with many more larger electrolysis projects announced in the US and Europe. Source: Bloom Energy

Jet fuel burning plan in Oakland replaced with batteries – The city of Oakland will soon have two things to celebrate following the misery of losing their NFL and NBA franchises. Not only will their last remaining pro sports team, the Athletics, be opening a new stadium, but the jet fuel combustion turbine peaker plant plaguing the city’s air will soon be a thing of the past. East Bay Community Energy, the city’s community choice aggregator has proposed a 20 MW, 80 MWh lithium-ion battery system to meet demand previously met by the fuel plant. Source: greentech media

RPCS releases safe harbor strategy for ITC stepdown – “RP Constructions Services announced this week their Safe Harbor strategy that will allow project developers, financers, and owners to benefit from this year’s Investment Tax Credit (ITC) rate for projects built in the coming years. Customers can realize savings by both purchasing solar tracker materials from RPCS and storing them safely and cost effectively in RPCS’s two tracker storage facilities, located in California and Texas, to serve projects nationwide. RPCS’s strategy offers complete flexibility to future projects by selecting components that are universal product parts and aren’t module or project specific. RPCS has the experience of engineering solar tracker projects in-house to give project owners and developers a competitive edge when it comes to planning and purchasing projects in advance in order to obtain the highest value of the ITC.” Source: RP Construction Services 

And we may have a new record holder for the “Highest requested rate increase” award:

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