Texas

U.S. solar market to add 29.1 GW and storage to add 9.4 GW of new capacity in 2023, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. If that new capacity comes online as planned, 2023 will have the most new utility solar capacity added in one year, more than doubling the current record of 13.4 GW from 2021.

Also on the rise: Minnesota senate passes 100% clean energy standard. Annual investment in low-carbon energy transition exceeds $1 trillion. And more.

Texas is set to take over as the highest-capacity solar state in the U.S., much of which will be represented by large-scale projects like the ones featured in this update.

The 385-mile North Plains Connector project to be built by 2029 will ease power transmission congestion and allow clean energy onto the grid.

Also on the rise: Facebook (Meta) total solar procurement closes in on 4 GW. New solar projects are more economical than operating existing coal plants. And more.

Meta (Facebook) signed on as offtaker for a 195 MW solar project in Texas, further establishing it as a top corporate purchaser of renewable energy. Its total solar procurement is approaching 4 GW.

The company plans to invest approximately $200 million in U.S. conductive carbon additives over the next five years, with plans to add 15,000 metric tons of capacity in Texas to meet needs of electric vehicle lithium-ion battery applications.

The financing with ten commercial banks is funding a vast multi-year pipeline of 35 GW solar and storage assets.

Liability exemptions seek to reduce uncertainty, and fears of potential financial liability for renewable energy developers allowing for expedited siting on contaminated sites across the United States.

Also on the rise: U.S. startup unveils portable solid-state lithium-ion battery for residential use. Inside the $455 billion U.S. investment in electric vehicles. And more.