The photovoltaic energy sector in the United States is experiencing an era of growth as bright as the sun that powers it. According to estimates by the consulting firm Woods Mackenzie: some 32 gigawatts (GW) of PV will be installed this year, up 52% from the previous year, accounting for 45% of all new renewable capacity planned for 2023 in the country. The firm forecasts a cumulative annual growth of 15% between 2023 and 2028, to reach 375 GW of PV installed in the country, as a result of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). This law contains a wide range of incentives for various economic activities, including renewable energy, among other measures to promote the energy transition.
According to the American Clean Power Association, the IRA will lead to the addition of around 550 GW of new renewable capacity by 2030. The Biden Administration aims to achieve a decarbonized electric power system by 2035, and thirty-seven of the fifty States of the Union have set targets for the development of renewable energies. Based on the renewable development commitments announced in the United States, the IEA predicts that 83% of all electricity generation will be renewable in 2050, with photovoltaic solar (37%) and wind power (35%) as the main generation technologies.
The Solar Futures Study report prepared by the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) goes further and estimates that photovoltaic energy alone could cover 40% of electricity demand in the USA by 2035 and 45% by 2050. This would be done without increasing energy prices because the costs arising from the decarbonization of the electric power system will be offset by the savings gained from technological improvements and greater flexibility in electricity consumption patterns.
Having been present in the North American renewables market for 20 years, ACCIONA Energía has positioned itself to take an active part in the ‘solar rally’. The company is currently building four photovoltaic projects simultaneously, representing 1.3 GWp of peak power (1 GW nominal power) with a total investment estimated at $1.3 billion.
The new plants located in Texas, Illinois and Ohio will enter service gradually in 2023 and 2024, adding capacity to generate clean energy equivalent to the consumption of more than 210,000 homes and avoiding the emission of 1.3 million tonnes of CO2 to the atmosphere in the process.
With the incorporation of this photovoltaic energy capacity, the company will practically double its installed capacity in the country, where it currently operates 10 wind farms and the Nevada Solar One CSP with an overall capacity of 1.1 GW.
“2022 was a year during which we had to deal with various challenges from the Auxin anticircumvention petition to the uncertainties around the Inflation Reduction Act, while still recovering from the lingering effects of supply chain issues. We faced these headwinds by maintaining safe operations, focused on growing our capacity and quickly seizing market opportunities!” said Joaquin Castillo, CEO of ACCIONA Energía North America.
of the communities where we operate, ACCIONA Energía is proud to support local non-profit organizations, schools and other stakeholders. These relationships play an integral role in our success in the communities where we operate. To that end the company’s Social Impact Management (SIM) program is designed to foster goodwill, strengthen the positive impacts of our projects and contribute to the socio-economic development in our communities.
The SIM program invests a portion of the revenues generated by each project into the community. In the case of the four photovoltaic projects being built in the USA, the funds supported 17 organizations dedicated to aspects such as the provision of educational materials for disadvantaged schoolchildren, home repair/weatherization programs, supporting food pantries and the purchase of sports equipment.
The cold weather in northern Illinois has been one of the main challenges of the project, meaning that various components have had to be protected from the low temperatures. It shares a grid connection point with another of the company’s plants, EcoGrove Wind Farm. Its presence has boosted commercial activity in the county and local landowners have benefited from the drought-proof lease payments and improvements to field access roads.
The company funds scholarships and works with several NGOs such as Caring Neighbor Food Pantry, Warren Youth Sports and Toys for Tots Initiative.
The most advanced construction project is located south of Houston.
It was the scene of a Houston TV program on the Inflation Reduction Act and was also mentioned in an episode of the program Climate Town, in which it was compared to a coal-fired power station planned in the same county. According to Climate Town, the Fort Bend solar plant and the coal-fired plant would have generated the same amount of energy, although the cost of the solar farm was 25% of the total cost of the conventional plant. And that does not include the emissions to the atmosphere avoided!
Thanks to a donation by ACCIONA Energía, Richmond Rosenberg Helping Hands (the local food bank) bought a freezer, a forklift truck for its warehouse and additional basic foodstuffs.
One of the largest solar projects in the State of Ohio. It contains 17 separate fenced zones that allow the movement of wildlife and blend into the rural nature of the place. 80% of the labor contracted for the project has been sourced locally, which indicates its potential for boosting employment.
In this case the commitment to the local community has taken the form of support for the NGO ‘Hope Center’, which helps people in disadvantaged situations and ensures their survival in circumstances considered critical by the organization.
This is ACCIONA Energía’s biggest solar plant in the world; it can cover the electricity demand of 159,000 Texan households.
The installation of solar panels will begin in 2023 and continue over the next year. It is no exception in terms of support for the local community. In this case, the company funds the work of local food banks that provide support for the most vulnerable and needy people in the area.
Transporting the San Juan de Marcona wind farm components from the Peruvian port of Paracas to its site 150 miles south in the province of Nazca has been a veritable logistical feat. Read on to learn how we did it.
