BRAZIL: Canadian Solar Inc. has opened a sales and business development office in Sao Paulo, Brazil to expand and strengthen the company's South American sales network and broaden regional customer service capabilities.
Canadian Solar expands into the emerging South American solar market with a strong product portfolio for commercial, utility-scale and off-grid markets. The company also aims to further its utility-scale project development arm, create residential and commercial customer base in this new market, as solar continues to develop and claim a larger part of the Brazilian renewables matrix.
"South America has long been a promising market for solar, and having a strong presence in Brazil is a strategic move for Canadian Solar," said Dr. Shawn Qu, chairman and CEO of Canadian Solar. "Canadian Solar has a proven track record of success around the globe and we look forward to replicating this momentum in the South American market. We are also proud to bring on board a new general manager for South America, Claudio Loureiro, who was instrumental in launching Canadian Solar operations in this new market."
"I've always been attracted to great teams and compelling business models, and Canadian Solar hits the mark on both fronts," said Claudio Loureiro, GM, South America for Canadian Solar. "I look forward to working closely with Canadian Solar customers and partners as we delve deeper into this emerging market to further the company's success in the Americas."
With 11 offices around the world, Canadian Solar's global presence encompasses North America, South America, Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia. The company has delivered more than 4.0 GW of solar modules to worldwide to date.
Canadian Solar will have a presence at several South American events this year, including Intersolar South America, September 18-20, 2013 in Sao Paulo.
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
Coalition of RE companies established to advocate for level playing field for clean energy
USA: Leading renewable energy companies from across the country have formed a coalition to advocate for equal treatment between clean energy and fossil fuels that would allow average Americans to invest in renewable energy projects in the same way they do oil and gas projects.
The coalition, called Financing America’s Investment in Renewables (FAIR), supports a change in the law that currently allows oil, gas, coal and other “natural resources”-based energy projects, but not renewable energy projects, to use master limited partnerships (MLPs), a business structure that facilitates investment in qualifying projects.
Such a change has been proposed in the bi-partisan Master Limited Partnerships (MLP) Parity Act recently re-introduced in both the US House and Senate.
The MLP Parity Act, which was introduced jointly by Senator Chris Coons (D-DE) and Congressman Ted Poe (R-TX), would give investors in renewable energy projects access the decades-old, tax-advantaged MLP structure that is currently available to investors in fossil fuel-based energy projects.
An MLP is a business structure that is taxed as a partnership, but whose ownership interests are traded on an exchange like corporate stocks. This provides the state and federal tax benefits of a partnership with the liquidity of a publicly traded company. While MLPs have generated the abundant and affordable capital that has built the nation’s modern oil and gas infrastructure, renewable energy assets are not currently eligible to use the MLP structure.
The coalition, called Financing America’s Investment in Renewables (FAIR), supports a change in the law that currently allows oil, gas, coal and other “natural resources”-based energy projects, but not renewable energy projects, to use master limited partnerships (MLPs), a business structure that facilitates investment in qualifying projects.
Such a change has been proposed in the bi-partisan Master Limited Partnerships (MLP) Parity Act recently re-introduced in both the US House and Senate.
The MLP Parity Act, which was introduced jointly by Senator Chris Coons (D-DE) and Congressman Ted Poe (R-TX), would give investors in renewable energy projects access the decades-old, tax-advantaged MLP structure that is currently available to investors in fossil fuel-based energy projects.
An MLP is a business structure that is taxed as a partnership, but whose ownership interests are traded on an exchange like corporate stocks. This provides the state and federal tax benefits of a partnership with the liquidity of a publicly traded company. While MLPs have generated the abundant and affordable capital that has built the nation’s modern oil and gas infrastructure, renewable energy assets are not currently eligible to use the MLP structure.
Biltmore Estate expands solar field with smart modules from Upsolar
USA: Upsolar, a leading international provider of solar PV modules, has announced the completion of a 500 kW solar electric system at Biltmore in Asheville, N.C.
Constructed by local firm Phillips and Jordan Inc. (P&J), the PV system features Upsolar’s smart module technology powered by Tigo Energy to maximize system performance.
The solar electric system is an expansion of the estate’s current solar program, taking the company from a six-acre, 1.2 MW solar system to 1.7 MW on nine acres. Completed in 1895 by George Washington Vanderbilt II, the estate covers 8,000 acres and remains the largest privately owned house in the U.S. today.
This 500 kW addition features Upsolar smart modules, which combine Upsolar’s high quality PV modules with Tigo Energy’s power optimizers. Using smart modules, P&J was able to overcome the structural challenges of the system, which required them to preserve the land on the historic landmark while optimizing the power harvesting ability of each module. This was the first solar array constructed by P&J, a company with decades of experience in the construction field.
Constructed by local firm Phillips and Jordan Inc. (P&J), the PV system features Upsolar’s smart module technology powered by Tigo Energy to maximize system performance.
The solar electric system is an expansion of the estate’s current solar program, taking the company from a six-acre, 1.2 MW solar system to 1.7 MW on nine acres. Completed in 1895 by George Washington Vanderbilt II, the estate covers 8,000 acres and remains the largest privately owned house in the U.S. today.
This 500 kW addition features Upsolar smart modules, which combine Upsolar’s high quality PV modules with Tigo Energy’s power optimizers. Using smart modules, P&J was able to overcome the structural challenges of the system, which required them to preserve the land on the historic landmark while optimizing the power harvesting ability of each module. This was the first solar array constructed by P&J, a company with decades of experience in the construction field.
Fraunhofer ISE teams up with EV Group to enable direct semiconductor wafer bonds for next-gen solar cells
GERMANY: The Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE has joined forces with EV Group (EVG) to develop equipment and process technology to enable electrically conductive and optically transparent direct wafer bonds at room temperature.
The new solutions, developed in partnership with Fraunhofer ISE based on EVG’s recently announced ComBond technology, aim to enable highly mismatched material combinations like gallium arsenide (GaAs) on silicon, GaAs on indium phosphide (InP), InP on germanium (Ge) and GaAs on gallium antimonide (GaSb). Direct wafer bonding provides the ability to combine a variety of materials with optimal properties for integration into multi-junction solar cells, which can lead to new device architectures with unparalleled performance.
“Using direct semiconductor bond technology developed in cooperation with EVG, we expect that the best material choices for multi-junction solar cell devices will become available and allow us to increase the conversion efficiency toward 50 percent,” stated Dr. Frank Dimroth, head of department “III-V – Epitaxy and Solar Cells” of Fraunhofer ISE. “We are excited to partner with EVG, a leading supplier of wafer bonding equipment, to develop industrial tools and processes for this application.”
Fraunhofer ISE has developed III-V multi-junction solar cells for more than 20 years and has reached record device efficiencies of up to 41 percent with its metamorphic triple-junction solar cell technology on Ge. Higher efficiencies require the development of four- and five-junction solar cells with new material combinations to span the full absorption range of the sun’s spectrum between 300-2000 nm.
Integration of III-V solar cells on silicon opens another opportunity to reduce manufacturing cost, especially when combined with modern substrate lift-off technologies. Direct wafer-bonding is expected to play an important role in the development of next-generation III-V solar cell devices with applications in space as well as in terrestrial concentrator photovoltaics (PV).
“We are excited about refining our new process technology together with Fraunhofer ISE, the largest solar energy research institute in Europe,” stated Markus Wimplinger, corporate technology development and IP director for EVG. “Fraunhofer ISE’s broad expertise in the area of PV, specifically in concentrated PV cell manufacturing and photonics, will allow us to characterize bonding interfaces with respect to PV applications on our new ComBond® equipment platform.”
EVG’s ComBond technology has been developed in response to market needs for more sophisticated integration processes for combining materials with different lattice constant and coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE). The process and equipment technology enables the formation of bond interfaces between heterogeneous materials – such as silicon to compound semiconductors, compound semiconductors to compound semiconductors, Ge to silicon and Ge to compound semiconductors – at room temperature, while achieving excellent bonding strength.
The ComBond technology will be commercially available later this year on a new 200-mm modular platform currently in development, called EVG580 ComBond, which will include process modules that are designed to perform surface preparation processes on semiconductor materials and metals.
In addition to PV, other potential application areas for processes developed in cooperation between EVG and Fraunhofer ISE include light emitting diodes (LEDs) and silicon photonics.
The new solutions, developed in partnership with Fraunhofer ISE based on EVG’s recently announced ComBond technology, aim to enable highly mismatched material combinations like gallium arsenide (GaAs) on silicon, GaAs on indium phosphide (InP), InP on germanium (Ge) and GaAs on gallium antimonide (GaSb). Direct wafer bonding provides the ability to combine a variety of materials with optimal properties for integration into multi-junction solar cells, which can lead to new device architectures with unparalleled performance.
“Using direct semiconductor bond technology developed in cooperation with EVG, we expect that the best material choices for multi-junction solar cell devices will become available and allow us to increase the conversion efficiency toward 50 percent,” stated Dr. Frank Dimroth, head of department “III-V – Epitaxy and Solar Cells” of Fraunhofer ISE. “We are excited to partner with EVG, a leading supplier of wafer bonding equipment, to develop industrial tools and processes for this application.”
Fraunhofer ISE has developed III-V multi-junction solar cells for more than 20 years and has reached record device efficiencies of up to 41 percent with its metamorphic triple-junction solar cell technology on Ge. Higher efficiencies require the development of four- and five-junction solar cells with new material combinations to span the full absorption range of the sun’s spectrum between 300-2000 nm.
Integration of III-V solar cells on silicon opens another opportunity to reduce manufacturing cost, especially when combined with modern substrate lift-off technologies. Direct wafer-bonding is expected to play an important role in the development of next-generation III-V solar cell devices with applications in space as well as in terrestrial concentrator photovoltaics (PV).
“We are excited about refining our new process technology together with Fraunhofer ISE, the largest solar energy research institute in Europe,” stated Markus Wimplinger, corporate technology development and IP director for EVG. “Fraunhofer ISE’s broad expertise in the area of PV, specifically in concentrated PV cell manufacturing and photonics, will allow us to characterize bonding interfaces with respect to PV applications on our new ComBond® equipment platform.”
EVG’s ComBond technology has been developed in response to market needs for more sophisticated integration processes for combining materials with different lattice constant and coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE). The process and equipment technology enables the formation of bond interfaces between heterogeneous materials – such as silicon to compound semiconductors, compound semiconductors to compound semiconductors, Ge to silicon and Ge to compound semiconductors – at room temperature, while achieving excellent bonding strength.
The ComBond technology will be commercially available later this year on a new 200-mm modular platform currently in development, called EVG580 ComBond, which will include process modules that are designed to perform surface preparation processes on semiconductor materials and metals.
In addition to PV, other potential application areas for processes developed in cooperation between EVG and Fraunhofer ISE include light emitting diodes (LEDs) and silicon photonics.
EU imposes provisional anti-dumping tariffs on Chinese solar panels
BELGIUM: The European Commission has today issued the following statement:
"Today the European Commission has decided to impose provisional anti-dumping duties on imports of solar panels, cells and wafers from China.
This decision follows a thorough and serious investigation and extended contacts with market players. As the market for and imports of solar panels in the EU is very large, it is important for this duty not to disrupt it. Therefore, a phased approach will be followed with the duty set at 11.8 percent until 6 August 2013. From August on the duty will be set at the level of 47.6 percent, which is the level required to remove the harm caused by the dumping to the European industry.
The European Commission reiterates its readiness to pursue discussions with Chinese exporters and with the Chinese Chamber of Commerce in order to find a solution in line with Article 8 of the Basic Anti-Dumping Regulation so that provisional duties can be suspended and a negotiated solution achieved.
The European Commission reaffirms its readiness to have the EU-China Joint Committee in the next weeks at a mutually agreeable date to discuss in a constructive manner all topics of our trade relations in line with our common WTO commitments and in the spirit of our strategic partnership.”
The decision came after a nine month investigation, launched in September 2012 (MEMO/12/647), during which the Commission found that Chinese companies are selling solar panels to Europe at far below their normal market value, which causes significant harm to EU solar panel producers. The fair value of a Chinese solar panel sold to Europe should be 88 percent higher than the price to which it is actually sold.
The dumped Chinese exports exerted undue price pressure on the EU market, which had a significant negative effect on the financial and operational performance of European producers.
The duties will be imposed in two stages, starting with 11.8 percent for the first two months and followed by 47.6 percent for another four months to alleviate the harm that is caused to the European industry by this unfair trade practice, dumping. In total, this provisional duty will be in place for a maximum of six months.
The provisional duties are far lower than the 88 percent rate at which the panels are being dumped because the EU applies the so-called 'lesser duty rule', imposing only enough duty needed to restore a level playing field. The provisional duty, in addition to restoring fair competition, will ensure the continued development of an innovative green energy sector in the EU.
The Commission will now continue its investigation and hear the views of all interested parties. It remains ready to intensify talks with China to find alternative satisfactory solutions through a negotiation. On 5 December at the latest, the EU will have to decide if definitive anti-dumping duties will be imposed for a duration of five years.
On the solar panel market
Highly innovative EU companies are currently being exposed to immediate threats of bankruptcy because of unfair competition from Chinese exporters, who have taken over more than 80 percent of the EU market and whose production capacity currently amounts to 150 percent of global consumption. In 2012, China’s excess capacity was almost double total EU demand. The Commission’s assessment indicates that imposing provisional measures will not only secure the existing 25,000 jobs in EU solar production, but also create new jobs in the sector.
In the short term, some jobs could be lost among companies installing solar panels. However, as the situation of EU producers improves and imports from other countries increase, these jobs could be recreated. Any job losses would in any case be substantially less than the 25,000 jobs in the EU solar production industry that are likely to be lost forever if measures are not imposed.
Today’s decision should also contribute to creating a level playing field for Europe's renewable energy industry, which is essential to the EU’s renewable energy targets. Unfair trade in solar panels does not help the environment and is not compatible with a healthy global solar industry. The Commission believes that a market that faces dumped imports will drive local producers out of business and discourages EU producers from developing cutting-edge technologies in the renewable energy sector.
On the investigation
During the investigation, the Commission assessed the level of duty needed to counteract the injurious effects of dumping. This means the level of the duty is never punitive in nature: it was fixed at the strict minimum necessary to restore a level playing field for the EU industry concerned. By systematically applying the 'lesser duty rule', the EU goes beyond its WTO obligations. This is in contrast to other WTO members like China and the US which always apply the full dumping found.
The interest of all parties concerned was thoroughly evaluated in the investigation. The Commission sent out questionnaires to various interested parties, such as exporting producers, Union producers, importers, upstream and downstream operators and their representative associations.
As in every other investigation, the Commission carried out the so-called "Union interest test". The EU is the only WTO Member to systematically carry out such tests. The Commission provisionally considered that any potential negative effects of the measures would be outweighed by the economic gains for the Union producers.
The investigation will continue and definitive measures, if any, would have to be imposed within 15 months of initiation, i.e. 5 December 2013. In parallel, the Commission is open to discuss alternative forms of measures which would be equivalent to the 47% duty. Both WTO and EU law offer this possibility in the form of a price undertaking – a commitment not to sell below an agreed price.
A parallel anti-subsidy investigation on the same product is on-going, following a complaint lodged by the same complainant. It was initiated on 8 November 2012. Provisional anti-subsidy measures, if any, should be imposed by 7 August 2013. The decision on definitive anti-subsidy measures will be due in December 2013.
"Today the European Commission has decided to impose provisional anti-dumping duties on imports of solar panels, cells and wafers from China.
This decision follows a thorough and serious investigation and extended contacts with market players. As the market for and imports of solar panels in the EU is very large, it is important for this duty not to disrupt it. Therefore, a phased approach will be followed with the duty set at 11.8 percent until 6 August 2013. From August on the duty will be set at the level of 47.6 percent, which is the level required to remove the harm caused by the dumping to the European industry.
The European Commission reiterates its readiness to pursue discussions with Chinese exporters and with the Chinese Chamber of Commerce in order to find a solution in line with Article 8 of the Basic Anti-Dumping Regulation so that provisional duties can be suspended and a negotiated solution achieved.
The European Commission reaffirms its readiness to have the EU-China Joint Committee in the next weeks at a mutually agreeable date to discuss in a constructive manner all topics of our trade relations in line with our common WTO commitments and in the spirit of our strategic partnership.”
The decision came after a nine month investigation, launched in September 2012 (MEMO/12/647), during which the Commission found that Chinese companies are selling solar panels to Europe at far below their normal market value, which causes significant harm to EU solar panel producers. The fair value of a Chinese solar panel sold to Europe should be 88 percent higher than the price to which it is actually sold.
The dumped Chinese exports exerted undue price pressure on the EU market, which had a significant negative effect on the financial and operational performance of European producers.
The duties will be imposed in two stages, starting with 11.8 percent for the first two months and followed by 47.6 percent for another four months to alleviate the harm that is caused to the European industry by this unfair trade practice, dumping. In total, this provisional duty will be in place for a maximum of six months.
The provisional duties are far lower than the 88 percent rate at which the panels are being dumped because the EU applies the so-called 'lesser duty rule', imposing only enough duty needed to restore a level playing field. The provisional duty, in addition to restoring fair competition, will ensure the continued development of an innovative green energy sector in the EU.
The Commission will now continue its investigation and hear the views of all interested parties. It remains ready to intensify talks with China to find alternative satisfactory solutions through a negotiation. On 5 December at the latest, the EU will have to decide if definitive anti-dumping duties will be imposed for a duration of five years.
On the solar panel market
Highly innovative EU companies are currently being exposed to immediate threats of bankruptcy because of unfair competition from Chinese exporters, who have taken over more than 80 percent of the EU market and whose production capacity currently amounts to 150 percent of global consumption. In 2012, China’s excess capacity was almost double total EU demand. The Commission’s assessment indicates that imposing provisional measures will not only secure the existing 25,000 jobs in EU solar production, but also create new jobs in the sector.
In the short term, some jobs could be lost among companies installing solar panels. However, as the situation of EU producers improves and imports from other countries increase, these jobs could be recreated. Any job losses would in any case be substantially less than the 25,000 jobs in the EU solar production industry that are likely to be lost forever if measures are not imposed.
Today’s decision should also contribute to creating a level playing field for Europe's renewable energy industry, which is essential to the EU’s renewable energy targets. Unfair trade in solar panels does not help the environment and is not compatible with a healthy global solar industry. The Commission believes that a market that faces dumped imports will drive local producers out of business and discourages EU producers from developing cutting-edge technologies in the renewable energy sector.
On the investigation
During the investigation, the Commission assessed the level of duty needed to counteract the injurious effects of dumping. This means the level of the duty is never punitive in nature: it was fixed at the strict minimum necessary to restore a level playing field for the EU industry concerned. By systematically applying the 'lesser duty rule', the EU goes beyond its WTO obligations. This is in contrast to other WTO members like China and the US which always apply the full dumping found.
The interest of all parties concerned was thoroughly evaluated in the investigation. The Commission sent out questionnaires to various interested parties, such as exporting producers, Union producers, importers, upstream and downstream operators and their representative associations.
As in every other investigation, the Commission carried out the so-called "Union interest test". The EU is the only WTO Member to systematically carry out such tests. The Commission provisionally considered that any potential negative effects of the measures would be outweighed by the economic gains for the Union producers.
The investigation will continue and definitive measures, if any, would have to be imposed within 15 months of initiation, i.e. 5 December 2013. In parallel, the Commission is open to discuss alternative forms of measures which would be equivalent to the 47% duty. Both WTO and EU law offer this possibility in the form of a price undertaking – a commitment not to sell below an agreed price.
A parallel anti-subsidy investigation on the same product is on-going, following a complaint lodged by the same complainant. It was initiated on 8 November 2012. Provisional anti-subsidy measures, if any, should be imposed by 7 August 2013. The decision on definitive anti-subsidy measures will be due in December 2013.
Recurrent Energy reaches commercial operation
USA & CANADA: Recurrent Energy, a leading North American solar project developer, announced the commercial operation of six photovoltaic (PV) projects, providing a total of 70 megawatts peak (MWp)/ 52 megawatts AC (MWac) of clean solar electricity for two communities in Ontario, Canada.
These projects are the first six of nine to reach commercial operation date (COD) in a 100 MWp/74 MWac portfolio acquired by Mitsubishi Corporation and Osaka Gas at commercial operation of each project as agreed in June 2012. The electricity generated from this portfolio will be delivered to the Ontario Power Authority (OPA) through 20-year feed-in tariff agreements.
These six projects, located near Smiths Falls and Waubaushene, Ontario, are all operational. The remaining three projects in the portfolio are expected to reach COD by early 2014.
The entire 100 MWp/74 MWac portfolio is expected to generate more than 124 million kWh
These projects are the first six of nine to reach commercial operation date (COD) in a 100 MWp/74 MWac portfolio acquired by Mitsubishi Corporation and Osaka Gas at commercial operation of each project as agreed in June 2012. The electricity generated from this portfolio will be delivered to the Ontario Power Authority (OPA) through 20-year feed-in tariff agreements.
These six projects, located near Smiths Falls and Waubaushene, Ontario, are all operational. The remaining three projects in the portfolio are expected to reach COD by early 2014.
The entire 100 MWp/74 MWac portfolio is expected to generate more than 124 million kWh
Three RE projects in Arizona and Nevada approved by DoI
USA: As part of President Obama’s all-of-the-above energy strategy to continue to expand domestic energy production, Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell announced the approval of three major renewable energy projects that, when built, are expected to deliver up to 520 megawatts to the electricity grid – enough to power nearly 200,000 homes – and to help support more than 900 jobs through construction and operations.
The 350-megawatt Midland Solar Energy Project and the 70-megawatt New York Canyon Geothermal Project are located in Nevada, and the 100-megawatt Quartzsite Solar Energy Project is located in Arizona.
“These projects reflect the Obama Administration's commitment to expand responsible domestic energy production on our public lands and diversify our nation's energy portfolio,” Secretary Jewell said. “Today’s approvals will help bolster rural economies by generating good jobs and reliable power and advance our national energy security.”
Since 2009 Interior has approved 25 utility-scale solar facilities, 9 wind farms and 11 geothermal plants, with associated transmission corridors and infrastructure to connect to established power grids. When built, these projects could provide more than 12,500 megawatts of power, or enough electricity to power more than 4.4 million homes, and support an estimated 17,000 construction and operations jobs.
Interior’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has identified an additional 15 active renewable energy proposals slated for review this year and next. The BLM identified these projects through a process that emphasizes early consultation and collaboration with its sister agencies at Interior – the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, and the National Park Service.
“The President has called for America to continue taking bold steps on clean energy,” said the BLM Principal Deputy director, Neil Kornze. “Our smart-from-the-start analysis has helped us do just that, paving the way for responsible development of utility-scale renewable energy projects in the right way and in the right places.”
All three projects underwent extensive environmental review and public comment. The companies agreed to undertake significant mitigation efforts to minimize impacts to wildlife, water, historical, cultural and other resources.
The Quartzsite Solar Project, located in La Paz County, Arizona, about was proposed by Quartzsite Solar Energy, LLC, a subsidiary of Solar Reserve, LLC (Santa Monica, CA). The 100-megawatt project will use concentrating solar “power tower” technology to drive steam turbine generators with heliostats on 1,600 acres of BLM-managed lands.
The Quartzsite Solar Energy Project will employ dry-cooling technology, which requires a fraction of the water needed for wet-cooling. The project is expected to create 438 jobs during peak construction and 47 full-time operations and maintenance jobs. When operational, the facility will generate enough clean power to meet the needs of an estimated 30,000 homes. Click here for a fact sheet on the Quartzsite Solar Project and here for a map.
The Midland Solar Project is a 350-megawatt solar photovoltaic facility. Proposed by Boulder Solar Power, LLC, the project will be built on private lands about 7 miles southwest from Boulder City, Nevada and will cross 76 acres of federal transmission corridor. The project will provide enough electricity to power about 105,000 homes and generate a peak construction workforce of about 350 employees and up to 10 permanent jobs.
Boulder Solar Power, LLC worked closely with the BLM, US Fish and Wildlife Service, and Nevada Department of Wildlife to develop monitoring and conservation measures that will avoid, minimize and mitigate potential impacts.
The project’s infrastructure, for example, was minimized to reduce ground disturbance. Less than 6.7 acres of native plant communities, which provide habitat to nesting migratory birds, will be eliminated as a result of the proposed facility. In addition, the project will obtain water from the existing Boulder City Public Works Department main pipeline, so that surface waters will not be diverted from areas of perennial flow or ephemeral washes, or from downstream habitats that depend on that water. Click here for a fact sheet on the Midland Solar Project and here for a map.
The New York Canyon Geothermal Project and electrical transmission facility will be built on 15,135 acres of land managed by the BLM about 25 miles east of Lovelock, Nevada in Pershing County. TGP Dixie Development Company, LLC, a subsidiary of TerraGen Power, LLC, will build the 70-megawatt project and associated 230-kilovolt electrical line.
The project will provide enough electricity to power about 60,000 homes and create an estimated 150 peak construction jobs and 16 full- and part-time operational jobs. The BLM worked closely with its partners and stakeholders to minimize environmental impacts. For example, a Bird and Bat Conservation Strategy was developed to assess the area’s avian wildlife and reduce impacts on these populations. In addition, there are no listed, proposed or candidate threatened or endangered species present in the project area.
The 350-megawatt Midland Solar Energy Project and the 70-megawatt New York Canyon Geothermal Project are located in Nevada, and the 100-megawatt Quartzsite Solar Energy Project is located in Arizona.
“These projects reflect the Obama Administration's commitment to expand responsible domestic energy production on our public lands and diversify our nation's energy portfolio,” Secretary Jewell said. “Today’s approvals will help bolster rural economies by generating good jobs and reliable power and advance our national energy security.”
Since 2009 Interior has approved 25 utility-scale solar facilities, 9 wind farms and 11 geothermal plants, with associated transmission corridors and infrastructure to connect to established power grids. When built, these projects could provide more than 12,500 megawatts of power, or enough electricity to power more than 4.4 million homes, and support an estimated 17,000 construction and operations jobs.
Interior’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has identified an additional 15 active renewable energy proposals slated for review this year and next. The BLM identified these projects through a process that emphasizes early consultation and collaboration with its sister agencies at Interior – the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, and the National Park Service.
“The President has called for America to continue taking bold steps on clean energy,” said the BLM Principal Deputy director, Neil Kornze. “Our smart-from-the-start analysis has helped us do just that, paving the way for responsible development of utility-scale renewable energy projects in the right way and in the right places.”
All three projects underwent extensive environmental review and public comment. The companies agreed to undertake significant mitigation efforts to minimize impacts to wildlife, water, historical, cultural and other resources.
The Quartzsite Solar Project, located in La Paz County, Arizona, about was proposed by Quartzsite Solar Energy, LLC, a subsidiary of Solar Reserve, LLC (Santa Monica, CA). The 100-megawatt project will use concentrating solar “power tower” technology to drive steam turbine generators with heliostats on 1,600 acres of BLM-managed lands.
The Quartzsite Solar Energy Project will employ dry-cooling technology, which requires a fraction of the water needed for wet-cooling. The project is expected to create 438 jobs during peak construction and 47 full-time operations and maintenance jobs. When operational, the facility will generate enough clean power to meet the needs of an estimated 30,000 homes. Click here for a fact sheet on the Quartzsite Solar Project and here for a map.
The Midland Solar Project is a 350-megawatt solar photovoltaic facility. Proposed by Boulder Solar Power, LLC, the project will be built on private lands about 7 miles southwest from Boulder City, Nevada and will cross 76 acres of federal transmission corridor. The project will provide enough electricity to power about 105,000 homes and generate a peak construction workforce of about 350 employees and up to 10 permanent jobs.
Boulder Solar Power, LLC worked closely with the BLM, US Fish and Wildlife Service, and Nevada Department of Wildlife to develop monitoring and conservation measures that will avoid, minimize and mitigate potential impacts.
The project’s infrastructure, for example, was minimized to reduce ground disturbance. Less than 6.7 acres of native plant communities, which provide habitat to nesting migratory birds, will be eliminated as a result of the proposed facility. In addition, the project will obtain water from the existing Boulder City Public Works Department main pipeline, so that surface waters will not be diverted from areas of perennial flow or ephemeral washes, or from downstream habitats that depend on that water. Click here for a fact sheet on the Midland Solar Project and here for a map.
The New York Canyon Geothermal Project and electrical transmission facility will be built on 15,135 acres of land managed by the BLM about 25 miles east of Lovelock, Nevada in Pershing County. TGP Dixie Development Company, LLC, a subsidiary of TerraGen Power, LLC, will build the 70-megawatt project and associated 230-kilovolt electrical line.
The project will provide enough electricity to power about 60,000 homes and create an estimated 150 peak construction jobs and 16 full- and part-time operational jobs. The BLM worked closely with its partners and stakeholders to minimize environmental impacts. For example, a Bird and Bat Conservation Strategy was developed to assess the area’s avian wildlife and reduce impacts on these populations. In addition, there are no listed, proposed or candidate threatened or endangered species present in the project area.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
