The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and the Cumberland Forest Restricted Partnership are turning former Appalachian coal mines into clear vitality hubs. They only introduced new agreements with Solar Tribe Improvement and ENGIE to construct 14 photo voltaic farms and three battery storage programs throughout 360 acres in Virginia, Tennessee, and Kentucky.
This marks the second spherical of fresh vitality tasks launched underneath TNC’s Cumberland Forest Undertaking.
These tasks aren’t nearly clear vitality – they’re about proving that clear vitality will be developed on former Appalachian coal mines in a approach that advantages the atmosphere and native communities. The photo voltaic and storage hubs are anticipated to herald extra native tax income, create short-term development jobs, and set up a group fund to help further native initiatives.
Brad Kreps, TNC Clinch Valley director, stated, “Growing tasks on former coal mines – and in a approach that engages with individuals within the native space in order that communities can profit – takes ingenuity, talent, and dedication. Finally, we chosen Solar Tribe and ENGIE, two skilled builders which have an amazing curiosity in bringing this imaginative and prescient to life.”
As soon as on-line, these tasks will generate round 49 megawatts (MW) of photo voltaic vitality and 320 MW of battery storage – sufficient to energy 6,638 Appalachian properties yearly.
Solar Tribe’s tasks will probably be in Virginia and Tennessee. It’s planning one 5 MW photo voltaic venture and three utility-scale battery storage programs starting from 80 MW to 150 MW. These storage tasks will enhance grid reliability and assist reduce prices for utility clients by lowering the necessity for future grid upgrades.
“Finding photo voltaic and battery storage on former mine lands makes excellent sense to us,” stated Danny Van Clief, CEO of Solar Tribe Improvement. “These websites and the communities they relaxation inside have powered our nation for greater than a century – all we’ve got to do is reimagine them for at present’s vitality expertise.”
ENGIE, in the meantime, is creating 13 community-scale photo voltaic tasks throughout Virginia, Tennessee, and Kentucky that can make the most of Inflation Discount Act incentives to assist hold prices down. They’ll vary in dimension from 1 MW to six MW, bringing clear vitality entry to extra native communities.
“ENGIE is thrilled to collaborate on the event of those tasks with The Nature Conservancy,” says Kristen Fornes, ENGIE head of distributed photo voltaic and storage. “These initiatives not solely contribute to the discount of greenhouse gasoline emissions but additionally generate employment alternatives, rejuvenate native communities, and improve entry to wash vitality in areas the place it’s most wanted.”
This newest announcement builds on earlier first-round work by TNC, Solar Tribe, and Dominion Vitality to convey renewable vitality to Appalachia. Since 2021, Solar Tribe and Dominion Vitality have been engaged on plans to generate 140 MW of renewable vitality throughout eight websites within the Cumberland Forest. The primary venture, Wildcats Photo voltaic, is a ten MW array deliberate for Clever County, Virginia. Anticipated to start out development by 2026, it’s projected to generate $800,000 in tax income for the group over its lifetime. Extra tasks from the primary spherical are set to be on-line by 2029.
Learn extra: Renewables supplied 90% of recent US capability in 2024 – FERC
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