395 MW AC changes hands: Lightsource bp has sold 2 solar PV projects in the US with a combined 395 MW AC capacity to JERA Nex, the global renewable energy business owned by Japanese power generation company JERA. The transaction includes 300 MW Oxbow Solar Farm in Louisiana, and 95 MW Happy Solar Farm in Arkansas, both operational and contracted. These are JERA Nex’s maiden US solar assets since the company was launched in April this year. The latter plans to build a broader portfolio onshore renewable energy in the US and globally.
$71 million for Origis Energy: US-based renewable energy company Origis Energy has announced the close of $71 million in tax equity financing with the US Bank subsidiary US Bancorp Impact Finance. It has secured the proceeds for its 75 MW AC Rice Creek Solar Project in Florida’s Putnam County. The project is contracted with the Florida Municipal Power Agency (FMPA) as the offtaker for 12 of its participating member municipal utilities. Origis said this is the 3rd solar site in the Florida Municipal Solar Project which is one of the largest municipal-backed solar projects in the US.
Solar plus battery storage in California: Golden State Clean Energy (GSCE), a solar energy developer in the US has entered an agreement with community energy supplier MCE to build solar plus battery storage projects in California’s Fresno County. Together they plan to develop 400 MW solar and 400 MW storage capacity. It will enable MCE meet its existing mid-term and long-term procurement needs to become commercially operable between 2028-2030. Under the Valley Clean Infrastructure Plan of GSCE, it plans to repurpose up to 130,000 acres of drainage-impaired or water-challenged lands within Westlands Water District to develop transmission infrastructure, up to 20 GW of solar generation, and 20 GW of energy storage. MCE is the 1st customer of the plan, said GSCE.
Partnership expansion: Climate solutions investor HASI and commercial solar and storage company Summit Ridge Energy in the US have expanded their partnership to build a 250 MW community solar portfolio. HASI has agreed to finance the latter’s ground-mounted and rooftop community solar portfolio in Illinois and Maryland over the next 2 years. They previously developed a 255 MW solar portfolio together.
MoU for multinational hybrid projects: Electro-thermal long-duration energy storage solutions company Malta will hybridize several solar energy projects of Schmid Pekintas Gunes Enerji Sistemleri with its advanced long-duration energy storage. Under the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed, the hybridization will cover 540 MW of Schmid’s pre-licensed solar energy projects in the US, Europe and specifically in Türkiye. “This initiative aims to create a scalable, replicable, and cost efficient model for collocated solar and energy storage projects, ensuring a stable and reliable 24/7 green energy supply while providing essential grid reliability services such as synchronous inertia,” explain the 2 partners.
The duo also plans to evaluate deploying energy storage solutions into 200 MW to 500 WM of existing and new solar energy projects across various South European countries and U.S. states, including California, New Mexico, and Texas. They target a combined storage deployment of up to 1 GW over the next 5 years.