FPL proposing nations largest community solar program

Posted by Laura Arnold / March 18, 2019 / Posted in solar / No Comments

FPL proposing nations largest community solar program

Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) filed a proposal with the Florida Public Service Commission (PSC) for a new community solar program that would offer FPL customers the opportunity to help accelerate the cost-effective growth of solar in Florida by subscribing to a portion of new solar power capacity. In return, they will receive credits that are expected to reduce their monthly bills over time.

Weve been aggressively expanding solar with one goal in mind: bringing more solar to all of our customers cost-effectively while continuing to keep their bills lower than 90% of the country, said Eric Silagy, president and CEO of FPL. This innovative program is another major step forward in our 30-by-30 plan, which is one of the worlds largest solar expansions, and also an unprecedented opportunity for our customers to harness the power of the sun like never before.

FPL SolarTogether will significantly expand solar energy in Florida. Pending PSC approval, FPL plans to install 1,490 MW of new universal solar at 20 new solar power plants across its service territory to meet anticipated customer enrollment in the program. Built cost-effectively, the new solar power plants attributed to the program are projected to generate an estimated $139 million in net savings for customers over the long term, primarily from avoided fuel and other system savings. Participating customers will receive direct credits for the savings on their monthly bills, and the program is designed to also contribute a portion of the savings to all customers, which will help keep fuel costs low for everyone.

If approved, FPL SolarTogether will be the largest community solar program in the United States. According to the Solar Energy Industry of Americas latest information, a total of 1,298 MW of community solar has been installed in the U.S. through the third quarter of last year.

This program will more than double the amount of community solar currently in the U.S., said Silagy.

FPL studied community solar programs offered throughout the country, including Florida. Program participants will not be tied to a long-term contract and can terminate or reduce their subscription at any time. In addition, because the subscription is associated with a customer account and not a physical address, program participants who move within FPLs service area can maintain their subscription benefits. FPL expects program participants to achieve a simple payback on their subscription within seven years. FPL also will retire Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) on behalf of participants who are looking to meet sustainability goals.

In order to gauge potential customer interest in a program like this, FPL has been working with its largest energy users. More than 200 of FPLs largest energy users including municipalities, national retail chains, universities, banks, restaurants and schools have committed to participate, providing the foundation for such a large program.

Broward College is committed to the education and advancement of sustainable energies that improve community wellness, said John Dunnuck, CEO, Broward College. The Colleges partnership with FPLs SolarTogether program is an investment in Floridas future.

If passed, the new energy centers built through the program will increase the use of solar power on the energy grid, helping to offset the use of other power plants fueled by non-renewable resources. The first six solar plants, each of which will have about 300,000 solar panels and be capable of generating 74.5 MW of solar, are scheduled to be operational in early 2020, with the remaining 14 facilities planned for 2021. FPL has already secured enough land to build all of these plants and the company plans to announce the individual locations in the future.

FPLs SolarTogether program provides an innovative approach to addressing business and residential needs for embracing clean energy in Florida and cost-effectively expanding the Sunshine States renewable energy footprint, said Tim Center, executive director of Tallahassee-based, Sustainable Florida. This initiative chalks up major wins for Floridas environment and sustainability.

In response, Southern Alliance for Clean Energys executive director Dr. Stephen A. Smith issued this statement:

SACE welcomes the news of Florida Power & Lights newly-announced SolarTogether Program. We believe this will be a significant move to provide low-cost solar power to a wider range of customers throughout Florida. We believe that this program, coupled with FPLs previously announced 30 x 30 commitment to utility-scale solar, shows that the utility is serious about advancing solar power in Florida. This program appears to make clean, solar power more widely available in the Sunshine State. We are carefully reviewing the details of this proposal and will provide more comments as we review this filing.

Indianapolis Power & Light (IPL) is also considering a community solar program. For more information see:

IPL Community Solar-Local Green Power Documents

Solar park to ease peak energy demands

Posted by Laura Arnold / March 18, 2019 / Posted in solar / No Comments

Solar park to ease peak energy demands

Mar 02, 2019

By Clay Winowiecki - cwinowiecki@chronicle-tribune.com

Gas City — A purchase agreement is being finalized to bring a solar park to the city.

The 17-acre, 2.5 megawatt, solar park will potentially power more than 200 homes in Gas City, according to Dick Justice, the Electric Department superintendent. The solar park is being developed by the Indiana Municipal Power Agency (IMPA).

“(IMPA) has entered a purchase agreement with the owner of the property, which is contingent on all the details being worked out,” Justice said.

The purchase agreement is expected to be completed by the middle of the month, with construction starting as early as May. The property being purchased is on Ind. 22, near the Indiana Department of Transportation building.

While Justice does not know the full cost of building the park, IMPA will be paying for all of the construction and maintenance. Gas City residents, however, will reap the rewards.

According to Justice, customer’s energy bills are not going to be impacted in a negative way.

During peak power usage, the park will be able to help prevent against rate increases.

“What we’re trying to do is hedge against rising utility rates,” Justice said. “For us this is a more economical way to produce energy (compared to coal fired plants).”

According to Justice, a concern among Gas City residents is how much this will cost taxpayers.

“The city is not taking on any financial liability,” he said.

Once the solar park is completed, potentially as early as February 2020, the company will then sell the power to Gas City.

According to Justice, the park will help Gas City prepare for the future.

“If we invest in renewables, we help ward ourselves off from future impacts,” Justice said. “If in the next (federal) administration we’re going to have to drop off all coal fire units (because) we can’t containmate the atmosphere anymore what happens then? Do we start having brownouts? We wouldn’t have anything to back us up. With solar we have a chance of maintaining some sort of civility.”

Justice said while he knows there are a lot of residents skeptical about the park, he expects it to have a positive impact on the city.

“We’re very fortunate to be in a long-term contract with a power provider that is solely invested in trying to maintain rates, stability, and reliability,” he added.

According to Mayor Larry Leach, the solar park is fantastic for the city.

“IMPA is footing the bill,” Leach said. “It won’t cost the city a dime to put this in.”

According to Leach, it’s going to be a peak type plant, so when the electricity is made, it won’t go out on the grid for resale, but will stay right in Gas City.

The park will help alleviate issues when it comes to high energy demands during heavy cooling and heating months too.

“I’m proud of our Electric (Department) in Gas City,” Leach added. “During the last go around we had no outages in the city.”

According to IMPA’s website, the energy company has developed 20 solar parks throughout Indiana, including Peru, Greenfield and Richmond. The company aims to eventually have 61, Justice said, one for each area it covers.

Across the country renewable energy is on the rise.

According to Fortune Magazine, 18 percent of all electricity in the United States was produced from renewable energy sources in 2017. This is a three percent increase from the previous year, thanks to solar and wind projects.

Part of this is because it’s become much cheaper to harness renewable energy.

According to a 2017 report by the International Renewable Energy Agency, electricity from renewables will soon be consistently cheaper than most fossil fuels.

Kosciusko Co. (IN) planners approve solar permit moratorium extension

Posted by Laura Arnold / March 15, 2019 / Posted in solar / No Comments

Kosciusko County planners approve solar permit moratorium extension

Mark Howe, Times-Union Staff WriterKosciusko County Area Plan Commission voted Wednesday to recommend an ordinance that extends a moratorium on permits to build large-scare solar power facilities, or “solar farms.”

There is already a 60-day moratorium on permits already in place, which went into effect Jan. 22. The extra 90 days will give county commissioners and planners additional time to study what other governing entities have done, what has and has not worked, and decide how to proceed.

Assistant Planner Matt Sandy said some agriculture producers in the Leesburg and Clunette areas have been approached about putting in solar farms. He defined the term “large-scale solar operations” as an operation designed to put electricity into the grid for consumer use.

Sandy added that without a moratorium, companies applying for permits would have to be judged by current regulations, even if county officials have other, perhaps more stringent, regulations in process.

It also allows the ag producers time to more closely consider proposals for the long-term use of their land and the repercussions of that use.

The ordinance to extend the moratorium an additional 90 days will go before the county commissioners March 19, where the board is likely to approve the measure.

The plan commission also considered a rezoning request from Wawasee Community School Corp. The corporation asked to rezone property to the south of the bus garage on Kern Road from a public use district to an agricultural district.

The move, which was recommended for approval by the plan commission, will allow the school corporation to install solar panels for energy production for nearby Wawasee High School.

Solar panels can’t be permitted in a public use district, but can be in a ag district.

The proposal now moves to the Syracuse Town Council for it to consider at its March 19 meeting.

Chicago company plans 700-acre solar farm in northern Madison Co. (IN)

Posted by Laura Arnold / March 14, 2019 / Posted in solar / No Comments

+ click to enlarge

he Indiana Municipal Power Agency, along with local and state government officials, opened the Anderson 1 Solar Park May 2, 2017. The 35-acre, 5-megawatt solar farm on Park Road can provide enough power for about 500 homes. Staff file by John P. Cleary

At a glance

About proposed Lone Oak Solar Farm

• Developer - Invenergy

• Location: Minimum of 700 acres on Ind. 28 between Elwood and Orestes

• Timeline: Construction of the 120-megawatt solar farm could start in 2021

Chicago company plans 700-acre solar farm in northern Madison County

ANDERSON – A Chicago-based alternative energy company is planning to construct a 120-megawatt solar farm in northern Madison County.

Invenergy is in the process of signing options to lease a minimum of 700 acres on County Road 500 West on both sides of Indiana 28 between Orestes and Elwood.

A local farmer who didn’t want to be identified said the lease payment is equal to the value of crops produced on the proposed acreage with a built-in increase of 3 percent a year.

Ben Lambrecht of Invenergy said Wednesday the company could be appearing before the Madison County Board of Zoning Appeals on April 23 to request a special exception for the project.

The could produce enough electrical energy to power 35,000 homes, he said.

“Madison County presents an excellent opportunity for a solar project due to its strong solar resource, access to the existing transmission grid, and a strong interest from the community and project participants,” Lambrecht said as to why Madison County was selected for the project.

Invenergy has not determined an estimated cost of the project.

The timeline indicates development will take place until 2021 with construction starting in late 2022 or early 2023, according to Lambrecht.

The project is expected to employ up to 150 people during construction and two permanent maintenance staff.

He said negotiations are taking place with commercial sale of the electrical energy.

Rob Sparks, CEO of the Corporation for Economic Development, said they have been working with Invenergy.

“I know right now they are working with property owners to secure options on the land,” he said. “There will be a presentation made to the Madison County Council next month.

“The investment will be good for Madison County,” Sparks said.

Invenergy has been in contact with several members of the Madison County Council and is expected to request a tax abatement for the project.

When the wind farm was constructed in northern Madison County, E.On Climate and Renewables was granted a 10-year tax abatement in 2011 that saved the company an estimated $6 million in property taxes.

In exchange for the tax abatement through negotiations with Commissioner John Richwine, the wind farm developers agreed to pay the county $1.3 million for economic development projects.

Last year, the commissioners approved $360,000 for the city of Alexandria for the proposed industrial park and $1 million to the city of Elwood for a new Hinds Career Center and robotics program.

The Indiana Municipal Power Agency, often referred to as IMPA, has invested $20.5 million on two solar farms in Anderson generating 13.2 megawatts of electricity.

An 8.2-megawatt solar generating facility is on Madison Avenue north of Cross Street. Each megawatt requires four acres. The second generating 5 megawatts is located at Park Road and 60th Street.

Invenergy and its affiliated companies have developed more than 21,785 megawatts of projects that are in operation, construction or contracted, including wind, solar, and natural gas power generation and advanced energy storage projects.

Shelby Co. (IN) BZA OKs 199 MW solar facility on nearly 1,800 acres of farmland

Posted by Laura Arnold / March 14, 2019 / Posted in solar, Uncategorized / No Comments

Shelby County BZA OKs 199-megawatt solar facility on nearly 1,800 acres of farmland

Jeff Brown, Shelbyville News Editor

At 11:08 p.m. Tuesday, the landscape of northeastern Shelby County changed.By a vote of 3-2, the Shelby County Board of Zoning Appeals approved a special variance request from Ranger Power to build a 199-megawatt solar facility on nearly 1,800 acres of farmland southeast of Morristown.

“Tonight’s decision is a big decision that allows us to move forward with the project. It’s not the final decision that we need and there is lots more work to do – and we look forward to doing that,” said Pete Endres, development manager for Ranger Power. “Tonight, we won the opportunity to continue to work on it.”

The favorable decision came nearly four months after the board voted 3-2 against Ranger Power’s first special variance request.

The 4-plus-hour meeting Tuesday at Breck Auditorium at Shelbyville High School kicked off with an hour-long presentation of Ranger Power’s proposed project by local attorney Lee McNeely, representing the New York-based company. The $175 million project needed to satisfy five requirements set forth by the Shelby County Council in a Unified Development Ordinance regarding solar power facilities.

McNeely carefully explained how the project is consistent with the Shelby County Comprehensive Plan, how it will not be injurious to public health and safety, how it will work in harmony with adjacent land uses, how it will not alter the character of the district and how it will not impact property values of the area.

Once the presentation was complete, lawyers representing several opponents of the project countered Ranger Power’s information leaving the 5-member board to determine if a burden of proof was met.

The meeting was then open to public commentary where 19 men and women of all ages stepped to the microphone to voice their concerns or express their interest in the project.

Finally, the board asked questions directly of Endres and Aaron Svedlow of D.E. Shaw Group, a global investment and technology firm that is working with Speedway Solar, the official company name associated with this project.

At 11:08 p.m., board president Kevin Carson called for a vote. Carson and Jim Douglas both voted “No” to the special request variance needed to put solar panels on farm land, as they did in November, while Rachael Ackley and Doug Warnecke voted “Yes,” again as they did in November. Dave Klene, who recently replaced Ann Sipes on the board, also voted “Yes.” Sipes voted “No” in the first meeting.

“I’m sticking with the idea of the comprehensive plan,” said Carson. “The comprehensive plan of Shelby County says ... and many, many people put time into that and came to the community meetings ... and the overwhelming majority said we like the rural, agricultural integrity of Shelby County. And so, that’s where a lot of my basis goes toward in the Findings of Facts. I believe it went against the comprehensive plan.”

Carson explained that agriculture was more harmonious that solar panels to the region. And he couldn’t really decide whether property values would be affected either way by the development.

The project is slated to take up 1,791 acres in Union and Hanover townships in northeastern Shelby County. Over 700,000 solar panels will cover 1,015 acres with fencing and landscaping to protect the panels and limit their viewability, which concerns many neighbors of the project.

“Hopefully what we demonstrated tonight is we’re going be a partner in this community for a long time,” said Endres. “Land owners who have chosen to participate in this project, that’s their decision and we respect that. And the decision tonight by the board respects their rights. But there are also other agreements we made tonight and will continue to make to protect Shelby County. We firmly believe this is a good project for the county.”

Ranger Power also received a variance request Tuesday from the board to push back construction commencement to a 4-year window. Endres expects construction to start in 2022 with the facility up and running in 2023 to start servicing a 35-year deal to supply the energy created to Wabash Valley Power, an Indianapolis-based transmission cooperative.

“There is a lot more developmental work to do in terms of surveys and design and engineering on the project. We still have some local processes that we need to go through too,” said Endres. “Next week we will be in front of the County Council for our tax abatement proposal and then down the road be back meeting with the technical advisory committee and the drainage board.”

The arguments for and against the project amongst land owners in the area has been passionate. That has come as no surprise to Endres, who respects the opinions of those not in favor of this project.

“I understand that some people just simply don’t want it but hopefully we’ve presented enough evidence to demonstrate that this is not a risk to them,” he said. “It’s a good thing for the people that have chosen to participate in it and the community more broadly, and we look forward to being a good partner going forward.”