A 150 MWac portion of what will be Ohio’s largest solar complex is now fully operational in Madison County. Phase 1 of the Fox Squirrel Solar project, developed by EDF Renewables North America and Enbridge Inc., is delivering electricity to the PJM grid.
Being built in three sections, the Fox Squirrel Solar project is a ground-mounted solar facility with total capacity of 749 MWdc/577 MWac. With Phase 1 in operations, the next two phases will be completed by the end of 2024:
- Fox Squirrel 1—150 MWac/194 MWp (In operations)
- Fox Squirrel 2—250 MWac/325 MWp (expected operations by mid-2024)
- Fox Squirrel 3—177 MWac/230 MWp (expected operational by end of 2024)
Comprised of 1.4 million panels and 159 inverters in total, Fox Squirrel Solar represents the largest onshore renewable energy project developed and built by EDF Renewables. During peak construction of Phase 1, 650 workers were onsite installing 10,000 panels per day. Enbridge invested in the first phase and plans to reach final investment decision on the following phases through 2024.
“The development and operation of Phase 1 marks a significant milestone in our journey to drive Ohio’s future with clean, decarbonized electricity,” said Kate O’Hair, senior VP for onshore development at EDF Renewables. “This project serves as a testament to the invaluable support from the county and community, highlighting their crucial role in ensuring the project’s success.”
The project has secured 20-year PPAs with a strong investment grade counterparty for the full generation capacity and is expected to generate enough electricity to power the equivalent of 118,000 average Ohio homes.
“The development of this project will support local communities and deliver clean power for our customer,” said Matthew Akman, executive VP of corporate strategy and president of renewable power at Enbridge. “The project underscores our energy transition leadership and highlights our rigorous capital allocation process which targets projects that are immediately accretive to DCF per share and complementary to our growth outlook.”
Tags: EDF Renewables North America, Enbridge, Ohio, utility-scale
