National Grid Renewables started commercial operation at its Noble Solar and Storage Project in Denton County, Texas. Noble is a 275-MW solar and 125-MWh energy storage project located in the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) market that began construction last year.
“With the start of operation at our Noble project, National Grid Renewables brings online our first utility-scale energy storage project, as well as our largest solar energy project to date,” said Blake Nixon, president of National Grid Renewables. “Clean energy projects like Noble are tangible examples of how National Grid Renewables’ commitment to doing the right thing benefits local and global communities both economically and environmentally.”
Noble is estimated to produce $26 million in new tax revenue throughout the first 20 years of operation. During peak construction, Noble used 600 construction workers and now employs the equivalent of six full-time operations and maintenance workers.
The Home Depot and NRG Energy have each executed individual 100-MW solar power purchase agreements (PPA), and The Hershey Company has contracted for a 50-MW solar PPA for Noble.
“Power plays a significant role in decarbonizing our economy, and we are proud to stand together with other corporate leaders as we bring new renewable developments online,” said Robert Gaudette, Executive Vice President of NRG Business. “We look forward to bringing more energy solutions to our customers and our communities as we all embark down a more sustainable and resilient path.”
Noble uses next-generation Series 6 thin-film solar modules developed and produced by First Solar. Recently, First Solar and National Grid Renewables announced a 2-GW supply of solar modules scheduled for delivery 2024-2025.
“As America’s solar company, we’re proud that our technology will power this project, which, in turn, will power businesses and communities in Texas,” said Adam Smith, First Solar’s VP of global business development. “This is yet another milestone in our journey with National Grid Renewables, and we thank them for their continued trust in our technology.”
Noble also uses Fluence Energy’s sixth-generation Gridstack for energy storage. The project was constructed by Signal Energy.
“We are honored to be a part of National Grid Renewables’ first utility-scale solar + energy storage project to help deliver clean and reliable energy in the ERCOT market,” said John Zahurancik, senior VP and president of Americas at Fluence. “This project is a great example of how solar + storage deployments deliver impactful environmental benefits and reliable energy. We are proud to stand alongside leaders like National Grid Renewables, working shoulder to shoulder with energy users and suppliers to support the clean energy transition.”
News item from National Grid Renewables
