Focus
U.S. power line approvals unlock giant solar, storage
Reuters – October 31
New high capacity transmission lines are set to open up large parts of western and northern Nevada for solar development. Last month, the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM) approved construction of the Greenlink West transmission line project that will run 350 miles northwest to southeast, close to the California border, between Yerington and Las Vegas. Federal land managed by BLM covers 80% of Nevada’s territory, and the Greenlink West line will unlock 4 GW of new solar capacity to supply growing power demand within the state and in neighboring California.
News
Biden administration expands tax credit for producing solar, wind, and battery components
The Hill – October 24
The Treasury Department is expanding a federal tax credit that seeks to incentivize domestic production of components for solar and wind energy, as well as batteries. Compared to a proposed guidance issued late last year, the final guidance makes the credit more lucrative for industry — which officials said could help expand both domestic manufacturing and domestic mining. The tax credit applies to the production of a wide range of components including the making of solar grade polysilicon, battery cells, and the refining of key minerals.
ITC overrules Commerce’s aluminum extrusion import duties
Solar Power World – October 31
The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) has reversed recently imposed trade duties on aluminum extrusion imports. Following a yearlong investigation by the Dept. of Commerce in which the department found 14 countries were dumping and/or receiving foreign government aid to produce cheaper aluminum extrusion items, a majority ITC vote determined that the U.S. market was not harmed by the investigated countries. Imported solar racking, solar tracker assemblies, electric vehicle battery trays, and EV charging station parts or assemblies were among the extruded aluminum products affected by these potential duties from the Dept. of Commerce.
Projects
Avangrid completes module installation at 44 MW California PV park
Renewables Now – October 31
Avangrid Inc. has installed all modules at its 44 MW Camino solar park in California’s Kern County. Once switched on, Camino will be Avangrid’s 10th solar project and its first operational PV park in California, where it already has six wind farms.
Washington governor OKs massive new wind farm and urges swift turbine approvals
Associated Press – November 2
Washington Governor Jay Inslee has approved a revised plan for a massive proposed wind farm after he rejected a sharply slimmed-down version earlier this year. Inslee urged permitting officials to work quickly to allow the construction of as many Horse Heaven Wind Farm turbines as possible, The Seattle Times reported. Washington state won’t meet its “urgent clean energy needs” if officials take years to authorize the turbines, he said.
Arizona Public Service signs 20-year tolling agreements for solar
Solar Industry Magazine – October 31
Recurrent Energy has signed two new, 20-year tolling agreements with Arizona Public Service Company for the Desert Bloom Storage and Papago Solar projects. The projects, located in Maricopa County, are scheduled to start construction next year and reach operation in 2026. Desert Bloom Storage is a 600 MWh standalone storage facility, while Papago Solar is a 150 MW solar facility.
Leeward commissions 179 MW White Wing Ranch solar project in Arizona
PV-Tech – October 31
Leeward Renewable Energy has commissioned its 179 MW White Wing Ranch project in Yuma County, Arizona. According to the Solar Energy Industries Association, Arizona has the fifth-most installed solar capacity in the U.S., with 8.9 GW of operating capacity as of the second quarter of this year.
Avangrid and Invenergy secure wind lease areas in Gulf of Maine
Power Technology – October 30
Avangrid Renewables and Invenergy NE Offshore Wind have won two lease areas each in the Gulf of Maine for almost $22 million in an offshore wind lease sale led by the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. This is the sixth offshore wind lease sale under the Biden-Harris administration and the first commercial sale for floating offshore wind on the Atlantic coast.
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