Focus

SEIA proposes solar supply chain traceability standard

Utility Dive – September 24

The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) has released a draft solar supply chain standard that aims to help companies comply with U.S. Customs and Border Protection traceability requirements. The proposed standard is the first of its kind, according to SEIA. The solar industry is vulnerable to unintentionally profiting from forced labor as it remains reliant on imports, which have skyrocketed since the Inflation Reduction Act. The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act went into effect in June 2022, and by November, more than 1,000 shipments of solar imports had been seized at the border, according to Reuters.

News

Transmission and renewables expected to reduce carbon emissions, generation costs in Western U.S., according to new DOE Report

T&D World – September 23

According to a new report from the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, CO2 emissions are expected to decrease by 73 percent by 2030 as compared to 2005 in the Western U.S., provided all the high-voltage transmission under construction and in advanced stages of permitting is built by 2030, enabling the construction of new renewable energy projects. The report also showcased that energy generation costs will drop 32 percent by 2030, compared to a reference case where most of these projects are not built.

Projects

Big battery storage project in Poway gets the final OK

The San Diego Union-Tribune – September 20

The Poway City Council last Tuesday finalized the approval of the construction of a 300 MW, 1,200 MWh battery storage facility at a business and industrial park, despite concerns from some residents about potential fires. The Nighthawk project by renewable energy company Arevon is expected to break ground soon and could be up and running by the second quarter of 2025. Arevon officials anticipate the facility will include 329 battery enclosures and, when fully built out, will generate enough electricity to power up to 300,000 homes for four hours.

Valley Children’s breaks ground on microgrid project

Solar Industry Magazine – September 23

Valley Children’s Healthcare in Madera County, California, has broken ground on a microgrid project that is set to include solar panels, fuel cells, and battery storage. The hospital says it will be one of the largest renewable energy microgrids connected to a hospital emergency system in the country.

DOE backs $72.8 million loan for solar, LDES microgrid on tribal lands in California

Energy Storage News – September 19

The U.S. Department of Energy will guarantee a loan from U.S. Bancorp Impact Finance for a project pairing 15 MW of solar PV with 70 MWh of long-duration energy storage. The project will be built on lands owned by the Viejas Group of Capitan Grande Band Mission Indians.

New JFK terminal will utilize novel microgrid, NYC’s largest solar array

Renewable Energy Magazine – September 24

New York City is beginning Climate Week 2024 with a bang, announcing the start of construction on a massive microgrid project at John F. Kennedy International Airport’s New Terminal One. The microgrid will include the largest solar canopy in New York City and the biggest at any U.S. airport: a 6.63 MW array containing more than 13,000 panels, blanketing an area the size of six and a half football fields on the new terminal’s roof.

BLM awaits public input on 700 MW solar park proposal in Nevada

Renewables Now – September 23

The U.S. Bureau of Land Management is seeking public comments related to a project involving the installation of a 700 MW solar photovoltaic park with battery storage in Nevada’s Pahrump Valley. The Copper Rays solar complex is planned to be installed on roughly 4,414 acres of BLM-managed land in Nevada’s Nye County, around 40 miles west of Las Vegas.

rPlus kicks off 800 MW solar plant

Commercial Property Executive – September 23

rPlus Energies has broken ground on Green River Energy Center, a 400 MW solar PV and 400 MW/1,600 MWh battery storage project in Moore, Utah. Completion is scheduled for 2026.

*This article may require a subscription to read.

[View source.]