Solar Energy Canada

Solar Energy Canada

Solar Energy

Georgia ranks high for solar power in the South

Georgia utilities earned high marks this year in their annual report on the state of solar energy in the south.

In its Solar in the Southeast report, the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy notes that Georgia Power ranks fourth among 14 major regional electricity providers in a key measure: solar energy produced per customer, or W/C.

As a state, Georgia trails only Florida in solar energy in this metric.

But the report cites the growth of data centers as a major challenge to the pace of deployment of new solar energy. This is driving energy demand growth to unprecedented levels, making carbon-emitting natural gas more attractive to utilities in the short term.

This was evident when Georgia Power made an extraordinary change to its approved generation mix this year.

But the SACE report still predicts that Georgia’s solar generation will double by 2025 with NextEra Energy’s 260-megawatt project in Wadley, southwest of Augusta, and more projects from Georgia Power expected in the next Integrated Resource Plan.

If this projected doubling holds true for Georgia Power, it would mean the company would generate about half as much solar power in 2025 as the nuclear-powered Vogtle Plant.

Avangrid begins producing power from 321MWdc solar PV plant in Texas

Avangrid said the project is the largest solar power plant in its portfolio and the first solar project in Texas.

Last year, Avangrid began construction of this solar PV plant and signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) with social media and data giant Meta, securing one of Meta’s new data centers in Temple City, Texas.

Meta has a number of PPAs, particularly in Texas, and has committed to run its operations entirely on renewable energy from 2020. For example, Pine Gate Renewables signed an environmental asset purchase agreement (EAPA) with Meta for a 204 MW solar PV project. Temple, Texas, in May 2024.

In addition to the True North Solar project, Avangrid recently installed the first modules at the 202MWdc/150MWac Powell Creek PV project in Putnam County, Ohio. Construction on the project began in late 2023, and Avangrid said the site would be operational “in approximately 14 to 18 months.” That would put the operational date in the spring of 2025.

Avangrid is a subsidiary of the Spanish utility company Iberdrola, since it was fully acquired by the latter in May 2024. Iberdrola took full ownership of Avangrid for a total of US$2.551 billion after acquiring the 18.4% minority stake it no longer held in Avangrid for the US. $35.75 per share. After the deal closes, Iberdrola will request that the shares in Avangrid be delisted from the New York Stock Exchange.