A lifelong sugar cane farmer in his first stint at politics, St. James Parish President Pete Dufresne has been an ardent backer of new industrial projects as needed job producers and tax revenue generators for his rural, blue-collar parish between Baton Rouge and New Orleans. New York City-based D.E. To put that 600 megawatts into perspective, solar power would amount to just 3% of the utility and public power generation capacity in Louisiana if it were part of the current mix compared to natural gas, 70.9%; nuclear power, 11.3%; coal, 9.6%; petroleum coke and liquids, 4.9%; and hydroelectric and biomass, 0.3%. Rural residents have complained of unsightly developments. This 74.5 MW project produces enough electricity to power 7,991 homes. Depcom Power, also based in Arizona, did the engineering, procurement and construction in addition to operations and maintenance for the solar project. The projects proposed in Vacherie would produce 120, 90 and 80 megawatts, with a 50-megawatt facility proposed for Franklinton. Copyright 2023 WTWH Media, LLC. The $100 million investment made by a single solar facility will generate very significant tax revenues for the parish, school board and sheriff. Pointe Coupee Parish President Major Thibaut has been through the approval of a large solar facility in Ventress, the worries from his parish's large agricultural base and the creation of an ordinance addressing some of those issues. You can also view the average costs for installing solar in Louisiana, based on real price data from installed systems and solar quotes. One, released in June 2020, is for 300 megawatts. An economic impact assessment from D.E. Add to that, more than 100 megawatts of electricity already being generated from privately-owned solar panels sitting on the rooftops of individual residences or on commercial buildings. By Davon Cole. Here's a glance at the other proposed projects in the state and their developers: HELIOS INFRASTRUCTURE:Its 50 megawatt project cost $67 million to construct in West Baton Rouge Parish and is operational. For example, D.E. Solar developments on farm land are likely to be far less than 1% of Louisianas 7 million acres of land available for agriculture today. Lighthouse already has more than 400 megawatts of solar connected to the grid with another 616 megawatts of power under construction. The developer of the solar farms in St. James, D.E. The Vacherie Solar Energy Center will be a 150 MW AC facility in St. James Parish in Louisiana. All Rights Reserved. The Chalkley Solar Project has raised the ire of Calcasieu Parish who are worried about the projects size, appearance, and environmental impact. State Brookfield Properties Retail, Walmart, and Abita Brewing Nearly 1 In 3 Homes In Australia Covered In Solar Panels, In Ultrathin Layers, NREL Researchers Find A Path To Better Materials, Solar Installation Growth Expected to Reach 700 GW by 2025, Green Hydrogen Project Is New Worlds Biggest, Utility-Scale Wind, Solar PV, & Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) Increased From 467 MW In 2013 To 6,230 MW In 2022 In South Africa, Energy Security Amid Heightened Global Tensions. Solar projects are similar to any other real estate development with landowners, leases and even property flippers active in the market. In St. James, the solar farms are popping up in a parish where, for several years, new petrochemical and oil storage facilities, like Formosa, Petroplex, Wanhua, South Louisiana Methanol and others, have been proposed in primarily Black communities, riling environmentalists and some residents. Get SEIA emails and stay on top of the latest solar news in your state. Solar panel technology is not new but the cost to build solar farms has dropped significantly in recent years. The other such installation is the 345 MW Ventress Solar project, set to start construction by the end of this year and slated for completion in 2023. There's a solar farm movement coming to Louisiana; here's where these facilities are headed. However, some residents have pushed back to include a local permitting process. WebWe are planning to build, own and operate a privately funded $170 million renewable energy project that will deliver electricity into the local grid, helping with Louisianas energy independence and energy security. Observers and analysts say the solar farms are being driven into rural Louisiana because of the simple economics of cheaper power and the broader drive to stem climate change, which a United Nations panel said in February would amount to an existential threat to south Louisiana over the next half century. The Prairie Ronde solar project is expected to produce 327 GWh of electricity each year, equivalent to the energy demand of 30,700 U.S. homes. The facility was recently acquired by Helios Infrastructure, a joint venture between Sol Systems and publicly traded Nationwide Insurance. The cost of decommissioning is born by the developer.". ; the 200.6 MW Diversion wind project in Baylor County, Texas; and the 598.4 MW Wagon Wheel wind project in Logan, Garfield and Noble counties, Okla. Invenergy is developing the three projects. So, it's a way that doesn't tax or put on burden on our infrastructure like some other forms of economic development might require," he said. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this. Shaw Renewable estimates the first 2,100 acres of the new solar complexes in St. James would spur around 300 temporary construction jobs and around $14.4 million combined in initial sales tax collections and property tax collections over the next 10 years. The subsidiary serves the Mississippi River corridor, including St. James, metro Baton Rouge and much of Louisiana outside New Orleans. The startup "identified the sites best suited to host a solar project" for the unidentified customer and is "actively working with this partner to develop a utility-scale solar project," according to its website. An empty field sits Thursday, July 7, 2022, just south of the St. James Solar farm located off La. Dufresne's and other local officials' concerns reflect the unease that has arisen among some in rural Louisiana over the proliferation of solar farms over thousands of acres agricultural land. The project is expected to sit on roughly 2,400 acres of lower-value farmland off of Highway 14, with Aurora specifically choosing lower-value farmland so as not to occupy what could otherwise be lucrative land. Last year, legislators had directed the state Department of Natural Resources to create statewide rules for solar facilities, but this year, new legislation limited those efforts to ensuring solar farms set aside resources to remove solar panels once they are decommissioned. This could power almost 21,000 homes. If you're looking for information about local solar companies, check out EnergySage'slist of solar companies in Louisiana, where you can check out information about each company and see real customerreviews. If you like what we do and want to support us, please chip in a bit monthly via, 70%, 80%, 99.9%, 100% Renewables Study Central, Clean tech and sustainability market research, Climate Change Solutions: Why 1.5C Is So Important, Electric Vehicle Sales Charts, Graphs, & Stats, Engage Global Competition: Technology for a Sustainable Future. Complete our National Solar Database Survey! The Iris Solar site comprises 492 acres and the St. James site spans approximately 218 acres. pv magazine USA offers daily updates of the latest photovoltaics news. Each project would support a range of 160 to 300 construction jobs, developers said. Thibodaux Solar is owned by Kansas City, Missouri-based Savion Energy, which has more than 100 solar projects in various stages across 27 states. This summer, Cleco sought help from an independent consultant to structure its new venture into building a solar farm portfolio, according to Louisiana Public Service Commission records. Though St. James Solar sailed through the approval process in 2019, the new, larger additions have run into headwinds. Washington Parish officials are looking at infrastructure and recreation with the new money, Parish Council member Carley King said. The solar farm has over 100,000 individual solar panels and is off of Rosedale Rd. 20. 3127 and west of La. Another big chunk comes from already carbon-free nuclear power, but the utility says it has been seeking solar developers since 2020 and hopes to have them to build 2,575 megawatts of solar power by 2025. With utilities such as Entergy, Cleco and LUS looking to buy renewable energy, another solar farm is being proposed in Louisiana. ECOPLEXUS:A West Coast solar developer wants to drop $348 million across two solar projects in West Baton Rouge and East Feliciana parishes. WebTo date, we operate solar projects in 27 states, and Tangipahoa will be one of the first solar projects in Louisiana. . "It's been a pretty amazing transformation of our industrial customers over the past couple years about their sustainability goals.". Required fields are marked *. So far, D.E. Entergy noted that it is exploring using existing coal facilities for solar generation or solar generation with gas-powered backup under a directive from a Louisiana Public Service commissioner. Shaw was founded in 1988 by David E. Shaw, who holds a Ph.D. from Stanford and has expertise in computational biochemistry. John Bel Edwards, the Deep Souths only Democratic governor, brought together people from across a broa. But that's what Entergy Mississippi is doing with their green pricing programs and I think there's a push to do that in Louisiana as well, a premium on top of your existing bill for a percentage of renewable resources. The farm, owned by the hedge fund D.E. Bayou Galion Solar Project LLC will build the Morehouse Parish solar plant. You have permission to edit this article. Likewise, major corporations that are big users of electricity are looking to be more environmentally friendly by sourcing more of the power they use from the sun, wind or water. Tripp Roy, director of development for D.E. Lafayette Utilities System is seeking to diversify its power sources into renewable energy by purchasing up to 300 megawatts of solar power. "It's economics driven," said Richard E. Walsh, managing partner at Madison Energy Investments, a New York-based fund that invests in renewable energy projects such as solar. So would a $145 million project proposed in Singer. The project encompasses approximately 1,970 acres. Some votes head to rural residents. Campbell said the Recurrent solar plant was one of nearly 200 energy options considered by the 1803 Electric Cooperative. "Even if the electricity were sold to an off-taker outside the state the economic benefits would stay in the parish," said Bryan Garner, director of communications for NextEra Energy Resources. Rural residents have complained the solar farms are unsightly. The solar and wind projects were identified through a competitive bidding process. Louisiana farmers already have complained that they cannot compete with the per-acre lease price solar companies are willing to pay for land. This is a part of the West Baton Rouge Solar Farm. A second solar project of previously unforeseen capacity could be coming to Louisiana, as local officials in Calcasieu Parish on Lake Charles, midway between New Select one or more editions for targeted, up to date information delivered straight to your inbox. concerns from these residents generally regard the size of the project, its impact on the local environment, damage that project hardware could cause as debris in the event of a hurricane destroying it, and why their town was specifically chosen. The Rocking R Solar Project will be a 72.5-MWAC facility in Caddo Parish, Louisiana, which is anticipated to come online in late 2024. RECURRENT ENERGY:Outside of Bastrop in Morehouse Parish, a subsidiary of publicly traded Canadian Solar, which manufactures solar panels and constructs projects, is buildingBayou Galion Solar Project. Other questions:subscriberservices@theadvocate.com. Louisiana solar farms could see millions in incentives. The company has developed and financed more than 75 projects in California, North Carolina, Georgia, Colorado and Minnesota, with more than $750 million in projects totaling 1 gigawatt around the world. The seven new proposed projects are: Kontiki Holdings LLC. Instead, it's likely the new electricity generation cost, as with the addition of any other new capacity, would be added to monthly bills spread across all ratepayers. Shaw solar farms, said he and many of his constituents accustomed to the parish's pastures and forests don't want to see too many more solar panels popping up even with the new ordinance in place. Capital Region Solar Project . "Solar projects represent an excellent community development opportunity for our rural parishes. Created by, the average costs for installing solar in Louisiana. Army Of Spiral-Welding Wind Turbine Tower Trucks Sets Forth FromTexas? The hedge fund, also known as DESRI, is seeking to expand around the 210-acre farm by 3,900 more acres in the area with different investors. Other questions:subscriberservices@theadvocate.com. "That's the most valuable real estate we have. Kontiki was registered in Delaware as of August 2020 on behalf of Next Era, which is the publicly traded umbrella company for utilities such as Florida Power and Light, records show. "The resources that will replace this low-sulfur coal-powered generation will be a diverse mix of power generation, which will include zero-carbon renewable energy resources.". "It's about striking a balance. That meeting marked the first time that the 23 representatives of industry, environmental groups, various state communities, state government officials and scientists met to create a greenhouse gas reduction strategy that would result in the state's emissions dropping by between 25% and 28% by 2025, and meet a "net zero" emissions goal by 2050. Proposed $200 million projects in Thibodaux and Bogalusa would produce up to 200 megawatts of power each. Roy participated in fashioning the ordinance in Washington, which created buffers, screening requirements, long-term financial assurances for cleanup after panels live out their usefulness, among other issues. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. 20. There are various owners from around the world involved in the projects, some of the next-generation of wildcatters leasing land on the speculation projects can be financed, developed and the electricity generated can be sold to the highest bidder. Next Era Energy, which has a significant renewable energy portfolio, particularly solar, dubbed the project as Beauregard Solar. Construction is expected to begin soon with operation to start in 2023. A $98 million solar farm in Morehouse Parish is looking for tax breaks for manufacturing renewable power, The Advocate reports. Officials in rural Louisiana grapple with 'going solar' as utilities, industry drive demand. An estimated 300 people will be needed during the peak period of construction. Since Entergy announced it would be buying solar power, the demand for solar farms has increased. "So you know before we just hurry up and jump up and approve all these things, we want to know what the long-term effect is going to be for St. James Parish," Dufresne said. Percentage of State's Electricity from Solar: 62 (5 Manufacturers, 29 Installers/Developers, 28 Others), 2,816 MW over the next 5 years (ranks 15th). The five co-ops banded together to develop a replacement for their soon-to-expire power-supply contract with CLECO Cajun, a Louisiana company that is part of CLECO Power in Pineville. The answers may surprise you. D.E. They could be looking to add renewable power generation on their own often expansive landholdings, potentially adding a future wrinkle to the land use questions raised by solar sites. Bayou Galion is hoping for an up to 80% property tax abatement for 10 years through Louisianas Industrial Tax Exemption Program. State records show that previously undisclosed projects seeking economic incentives include three in the St. James Parish community of Vacherie and one each in Thibodaux, Bogalusa, Singer and Franklinton. NEW ORLEANS (AP) Solar power companies are looking to build at least seven big projects in rural Louisiana, including three in one unincorporated community. "With over 400 megawatts of new solar power projects planned in Louisiana, (D.E. Shaw Renewable Investments, has two in Washington also,Iris Solar and Sunlight Road Solar, and is one of several firms eying farms across the state. Dismuskes, the LSU energy analyst, said that while it is true industrial operations are looking for renewable power, it may not be that all of them want that power from Entergy. Kontiki Holdings LLC. Complete our National Solar Database Survey! The St. James Solar farm in Vacherie collects the rays of the sun and turns them into power for the New Orleans area on Thursday, July 7, 2022. Climate change denial on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and TikTok is as bad as ever, False claim that replacing cornfields with solar panels exacerbates climate change, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Shaw is planning $484 million of investment in Louisiana spread across six disclosed projects that are seeking economic incentives or already had them approved. Local elected leaders will direct these new tax revenues to meet their current or future needs," LED Secretary Don Pierson said in the statement. Advertise with CleanTechnica to get your company in front of millions of monthly readers. Rocking R is expected to deliver significant community benefits, including the creation of construction jobs. "We need jobs. Ecoplexus has deals with customers such as Fortune 500 companies Medtronic and Ecolab, in addition to privately held businesses like Andersen Windows and Doors. The West Baton Rouge Solar Farm being tied to Entergy has over 100,000 individual solar panels and is off Rosedale Road. Some votes head to rural residents. Capital Region Solar is a planned 50-MW facility being built in West Baton There was an intense competition of new and existing power options reviewed by the firm and the LPSC staff, he said.