Doral Renewables turns to research firm to show public health, ecosystem and economic benefits.
Renewable energy companies and developers are running into public opposition to their projects based on a number of factors, such as cost, land use and proximity to communities. Proactive owners and developers are learning to put the health, economic and environmental benefits of their projects front and center in their proposals.
Pennsylvania-based Doral Renewables engaged California-based research and analytics firm Quantum Energy to investigate the impact of its proposed 1.3 GW Vista Sands Solar project, which will also incorporate 300 MW of battery storage, to be located in Portage County, Wisconsin. The subsequent report lays out in detail the positive effects the community can expect from the ground-mounted, single-axis tracker PV array once it’s connected to the Midcontinent Independent System Operator grid.
Quantum researchers used the company’s TotalView Energy Platform to evaluate a number of factors related to air, soil and water quality as well as the corresponding public health, ecosystem and economic impacts. The analysis details how the Vista Sands project will support the grid while also being a good neighbor.
Based on the report, Doral Renewables said the Vista Sands project would eliminate approximately 1.2 GWh of natural gas generation and 950 GWh of coal generation on the MISO regional grid annually. With expected production at 2.3 GWh, approximately 94% of the electricity generated by Vista Sands would displace fossil fuel generation. Replacing legacy fossil-fuel burning sources with renewables is a key energy transition goal.
According to the Quantum report, the Vista Sands project is expected to avoid 1.6 million metric tons of carbon dioxide and 1,129 metric tons of particulate matter emissions in its first year of operation. The analysis also projects that Vista Sands would prevent 3,260 metric tons of soil acidification emissions annually with attending public health and ecosystem benefits.
By the company’s metrics, this is expected to save 2,485 disability adjusted life years due to the reductions of CO2 local air pollutants and particulate matter. This is equivalent to approximately 1,000 people getting an extra 2.5 years of healthy life, the report said. The combined public health and ecosystem benefits are projected to produce approximately $630 million in economic gains in the first year, the report said, primarily due to reductions in healthcare costs and ecosystem preservation.
“Vista Sands will mark a significant and immediate step toward mitigating the threat of a shifting climate in Wisconsin and nationwide by decreasing reliance on traditional energy sources like coal and natural gas,” said Jon Baker, vice president of development for Doral Renewables and Vista Sands project manager, in a statement. “This meaningfully reduces the amount of harmful pollutants in our air, water and soil that impact human health.”
A spokesperson for Doral told pv magazine USA that the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin has until January 2025 to make its decision on whether to approve Vista Sands. The project is currently seeking permits and other consents through the beginning of 2025.
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