Sunrise brief: Co-op utility partners to replace 1 GW of coal capacity with solar

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Colorado-based Hallador Energy said it will help Hoosier Energy Rural Electric Cooperative develop up to 1 GW of renewable power near the Merom Coal Generation Station, which Hoosier expects to retire in May 2023.

The plan calls for Hallador to develop around 200 MW of solar and battery storage capacity through power purchase agreements with Indiana-based Hoosier Energy in 2025. Hallador will seek other customers for the remaining capacity at the interconnection site.

Hoosier aims to replace the 1,000 MW coal-fired Mercom station. Around 200 MW of capacity is expected to become available in 2022 through a power purchase agreement with the Riverstart solar project in northeastern Indiana. That project is being developed by EDP Renewables.

In its integrated resource plan, Hoosier said its near-term portfolio modeling suggested adding 800 MW of wind PPAs, 500 MW of solar PPAs, and 300 MW of natural gas-fired resources through 2023, and another 200 MW of gas resources in 2024.

Hallador operates Sunrise Coal, one of Indiana’s largest coal producers. Its Oaktown mine produces more than six million tons of coal annually. The company also has a 50% interest in a gas exploration company with operations in Indiana.

Rosendin wins contract for California solar

Rosendin’s Renewable Energy Group said it was contracted by units of SB Energy US Holdings One to design and build the $700+ million, 450 MW Athos I and Athos II projects, which will cover nearly 5-square miles in Riverside County in southern California.

Once completed, the solar installations will provide capacity to generate over 2,200 GWh per year of renewable energy.

Athos I will have the capacity to generate up to 361 MW as early as March 2022. Athos II will have a 288 MW capacity when completed around November 2021. Together, the sites will use around 1.48 million First Solar Series 6 modules on a 3,440-acre land parcel, located 75 miles east of Palm Springs. SB Energy is a unit of SoftBank Group Corp.

Stem to support battery storage project

Stem Inc. said it will provide smart energy storage services to Ameresco for a battery storage project with Holy Cross Energy, an electric cooperative that serves three counties in western Colorado.

In April, Ameresco announced a 5 MW solar PV project with 15 MWh of battery energy storage for Holy Cross, which aims to source 100% of electricity used to serve members’ load with renewable resources by 2030.

Stem’s Athena smart energy software is expected to enable the cooperative to dispatch the battery into system peaks to minimize costs and maximize efficiency.

Greenskies solar array enters service

Greenskies Clean Energy said it completed a 1.17 MW solar array for the Town of East Haven, Connecticut. The project, at a five-acre capped landfill, includes about 3,000 solar panels.

Greenskies has more than 27 MW of solar landfill projects at 14 sites in Connecticut and Massachusetts.

Through Connecticut’s virtual net metering program, the town will credit the energy produced by this solar installation against several buildings, including two schools, a recreation center, and police department.

The town signed a 20-year lease agreement and a power purchase agreement with Greenskies. Over the next 20 years, the town is expected to save around $1.4 million in electricity costs and generate additional revenue in annual lease payments. The project is expected to generate around 1.64 million kWh of energy every year.

Sunnova expands storage offerings

Sunnova Energy International expanded its lease service offerings for solar + Tesla and Generac storage system to nine new markets, including Illinois, Maryland, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Florida, New York, and Rhode Island. The company will offer a choice between a lease program or loan offerings when selecting a solar + storage system to power their home. The company said that 22 states have access to Enphase batteries through its loan program.

Kit Carson adds EV charging stations

New Mexico-based Kit Carson Electric Cooperative is installing nine electric vehicle (EV) charging stations in northern parts of the state. Sol Luna, a local solar installer, will install the EV charging stations. Once the project is complete, Kit Carson will have 19 EV charging stations with 28 charging points.

In May 2020, the co-op received a $200,000 New Mexico Environment Department grant from the Volkswagen Settlement Fund to initiate an EV charging station network in the state.

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