Massive Solar Plus Storage Deals Signed for Moapa Tribe in Nevada
EDF Renewables North America and NV Energy signed a power purchase agreement for a new solar plus storage project located on the Moapa Band of Paiute Indians Reservation in Nevada. The Arrow Canyon Solar Project calls for a 200 megawatt solar farm and a 75 megawatt–5 hour battery storage system.
This new project in Nevada, about 20 miles northeast of Las Vegas, will use high efficiency bifacial solar photovoltaic modules along with a tier 1 energy storage system supplier, according to EDP Renewables North America. The site in Nevada, 20 miles northeast of Las Vegas, will benefit the Moapa Tribe and local community, the independent power producer says, adding that the project is designed to minimize effects on wildlife, habitat, and other environmental resources on tribal lands.
“The battery and solar system work together to provide NV Energy with a robust energy guaranty during the summer evening peak hours, when system needs are the greatest,” said Cliff Graham, senior vice president of US development at EDF Renewables North America. “NV Energy can utilize the battery at their discretion in all other months of the year, allowing mitigation of demand spikes.”
A separate project on the Moapa River Indian Reservation called the Southern Bighorn Solar and Storage Center is being developed by 8minute Solar Energy. This 300 megawatt solar array that includes a 135 megawatt–4 hour lithium-ion battery energy storage system, according to NV Energy.
Solar plus storage projects in Nevada are breaking records, Bloomberg’s Brian Eckhouse and Chris Martin reported this week. Arrow Canyon, Southern Bighorn, and a third called the Gemini Solar and Battery Storage Project being developed by Quinbrook are expected to produce about 1,200 MW of solar backed by batteries capable of storing 2,300 megawatt hours, the journalists wrote.
“Solar used to be expensive, and batteries used to be expensive — and now it’s cheap,” Jenny Chase, BNEF’s lead solar analyst, told the news outlet. “We’re going to see new records set very regularly.”
Source: energymanagertoday
