165 MW solar power capacity for OneEnergy: A Public Benefit Corporation, OneEnergy Renewables has signed an Asset Purchase Agreement to construct 2 utility-scale solar projects with a combined capacity of approximately 165 MW. The other signatories to the agreement are We Energies, Wisconsin Public Service Corporation (WPS), and Madison Gas and Electric Company (MGE). Both the projects – 98 MW Good Oak and 67 MW Gristmill – are located in Columbia County, Wisconsin. These are scheduled to be constructed in 2026 and 2027.
No access to the US for Maxeon still: Singaporean solar module manufacturer Maxeon Solar Technologies says its solar modules continue to be detained and ‘inexplicably’ excluded from being imported from its Mexico manufacturing facilities into the US. According to the manufacturer, it has provided the US Customs & Border Protection (CBP) officials with thorough traceability documentation running into tens of thousands of pages of its clean supply chain. Yet, the CBP reviewers believe the documentation is not sufficient for Maxeon to prove its compliance with the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA). The company ‘vehemently refutes’ the charge. Notably, Maxeon’s modules – including Maxeon 3 and Maxeon 4 residential modules, and Performance 6 commercial modules produced in Mexico – have been detained by the CBP since July 2024 which has consistently impacted its business as the US is its largest market (see Maxeon Withdraws FY 2024 Guidance After Gross Loss In Q2).
Since this is disrupting the project schedule of the developers and small businesses, Maxeon says it has requested the Application of Further Review (AFR) process which entails the engagement of a new team of CBP reviewers.
Custom clearance for REC Silicon: Norway-headquartered polysilicon supplier REC Silicon says the qualification material of its ultra-high purity polysilicon produced at the recently re-started silane-based high-purity granular production facility in Moses Lake, Washington has cleared the US customs. It is now available for the 3rd party to test. The same was reportedly delayed earlier with ‘unexpected procedures by customs in the country.’ REC says the testing now is expected to commence soon. This qualification process is important for the company to clear to be able to start the shipments and thus contribute to the starting of the US solar value chain.
Senate Bill 2967 moves forward in Massachusetts: The Massachusetts Legislature has passed Senate Bill 2967 which will accelerate the build-out of integral solar and energy storage technology in Massachusetts. According to the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), it addresses key challenges facing the solar and storage industry. Its ‘commonsense reforms’ will help the Commonwealth take rapid and cost-effective action to address the climate crisis. The bill will now need to be signed by Governor Maura Healey to become a law.
Solar power capacity expansion for copper mine: Global metals miner Rio Tinto is adding 25 MW of new solar PV capacity to an existing solar power plant at its Kennecott Copper Mine in Utah, US. It will come up next to an existing 5 MW solar power plant, operational since 2023. The project will deploy modules made with tellurium produced by Kennecott, which is one of the only 2 US producers of this critical mineral. Tellurium is a byproduct of mining and refining copper. Rio says this 30 MW capacity will lower the mine’s Scope 2 emissions by close to 6% or 21,000 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent/year. The construction of the 25 MW PV capacity will be completed in 2025 by Bechtel Corporation. According to the mining giant, Kennecott has already one of the lowest carbon footprints of any copper producers in the US as it has lowered the same by more than 80% since 2018 when it closed down the coal-powered plant and started the 5 MW solar plant, among other measures.
25 MW project changes hands: A portfolio company of Brookfield, US-based Standard Solar has acquired a 25 MW DC solar power project from Balanced Rock Power (BRP) in Kern County, California. The Windhub Solar B ground-mounted project will be interconnected with the Windhub Substation to supply clean energy to Southern California Edison. To be spread across 112 acres, the 25 MW DC solar project is strategically located to address energy delivery challenges in the Mojave area, according to the company. It will enter construction during H1 2025 and will generate approximately 56,674 MWh of renewable energy annually on completion.