Morning Brief: PV plant providing grid ancillary services in Chile, Capital Dynamics to develop nine batteries

Also in the brief: Global Energy Generation’ proposed 4,500-acre Mammoth Solar project in Pulaski County, Indiana, may have a role to play in Winamac’s revitalization efforts, Dominion Energy acquired a solar power project in Orange County, the laws that prevent carbon cutting and more.

August 21, 2020 Eric Wesoff

The Luz del Norte solar plant in Chile

Image: SMA / First Solar

First Solar’s 141 MW Luz del Norte solar plant is the world’s first known utility-scale solar facility licensed to deliver ancillary grid services commercially. Chile’s independent system operator(ISO), Coordinador Eléctrico Nacional, recently added Luz del Norte to its portfolio of large-scale power generators that are approved to deliver a range of grid services, including automatic generation control. The facility, located in Copiapó, is now being used by the ISO to manage the frequency of the country’s electricity system, helping ensure the grid’s reliability and stability, in addition to generating clean, renewable energy. Commissioned in 2016, Luz del Norte is one of the largest PV plants in Chile. Source: First Solar

Capital Dynamics has signed an agreement with Tenaska to develop a portfolio of nine battery storage projects throughout California’s highest electrical load centers. The two companies jointly own two solar facilities in the Imperial Valley of California and are developing additional solar projects. Capital Dynamics’ Clean Energy Infrastructure (CEI) is one of the largest renewable energy investment managers in the world with $6.5 billion AUM. The CEI strategy currently manages 7.3 GW of gross power generation across more than 150 projects in the U.S. and Europe. Source: Tenaska

Global Energy Generation’ proposed 4,500-acre Mammoth Solar project in Pulaski County, Indiana, may have a role to play in Winamac’s revitalization efforts. Project developer President Nick Cohen says that to go along with its solar investments, the company also looks for projects it can sponsor to revitalize communities. Source: WKVI

Dominion Energy acquired a solar power project in Orange County, Virginia. The 62.5-MW solar power facility is expected to go online in 2022. The purchase is part of an agreement with Falls Church-based Northrop Grumman, a large defense technology contractor, which will purchase the facility’s renewable energy from the grid to power its operations.Richmond-based Dominion touted the purchase as part of its effort to build up its solar generating capacity to comply with the new law calling for 100% zero-carbon electricity by 2045. Source: Daily Progress Orange County

Does your state want to cut carbon emissions? These old laws could be standing in the way. Last fall, the town of Brookline, Massachusetts tried to reduce emissions from fossil fuels burned in buildings, which account for nearly a third of the commonwealth’s greenhouse gas footprint. Brookline’s government voted overwhelmingly to pass a law restricting gas hookups in new construction, but state attorney general Maura Healey killed Brookline’s bill, finding that it violated state law. Healey is known to be an advocate for climate action, but found that Massachusetts towns don’t have the authority to create their own building permitting rules or to control the piping installed in buildings. Massachusetts isn’t the only state where lawmakers have run into snags when trying to pass carbon-cutting measures, as the attached article dives into. Source: Grist

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