EDF Renewables and Enbridge teamed up to build Ohio’s largest solar complex. Savion redeveloped a former coal mine in Kentucky to build a 111 MW solar project. A landfill solar project in Connecticut faces possible cancellation amid $26 million grid interconnection costs. Read about these projects and more in the latest Projects Weekly.
EDF Renewables North America and Enbridge Inc have completed construction and achieved full operational status on the Amazon Solar Farm Ohio – Fox Squirrel Solar project in December 2024. Located in Madison County, Ohio, all three phases of the project are now delivering electricity to the PJM grid.
Fox Squirrel Solar, a ground-mounted solar facility with total capacity of 577 MWac / 749 MWdc, is one of the largest utility-scale solar developments east of the Mississippi River. Developed by EDF Renewables and owned in partnership with Enbridge, the project will help address the growing energy needs of central Ohio.
Fox Squirrel Solar’s 1.4 million panels and 159 inverters represent the largest onshore renewable energy project developed and built by EDF Renewables North America. During peak construction, about 650 workers were onsite installing approximately 10,000 panels per day adding up to nearly 1.5 million work hours.
| Fox Squirrel 1 | Fox Squirrel 2 | Fox Squirrel 3 | ||
| 150 MWac /194 MWdc | 250 MWac /325 MWdc | 177 MWac /230 MWdc | ||
| Operational Dec. 2023 | Operational July 2024 | Operational Dec. 2024 |
The full generation capacity will be delivered to Amazon through power purchase agreements.
“This project is a shining example of the power of partnerships between landowners, the local community and our project partners all working together towards a sustainable future,” said Kate O’Hair, senior VP for onshore development at EDF Renewables North America.
“This project represents an important milestone in advancing Enbridge’s renewable energy strategy, reinforcing our leadership in the ongoing energy evolution,” said Tom Carbone, VP of power business development at Enbridge. “We’re proud to provide 100% of the power to Amazon to help provide clean, renewable energy for their operations and support their sustainability goals.”
Enbridge announce several other large-scale renewable energy projects in 2024, including Orange Grove and Sequoia Solar, with large offtakers such as Amazon, AT&T and Toyota.
Savion energizes solar project on former Kentucky coal site
Savion LLC, a Shell Group portfolio company, has started commercial operations at its Martin County Solar Project (MCSP) in Martin County, Kentucky. The 111 MW solar facility is Savion’s first project to be designed, developed, constructed, and owned by the company on reclaimed mine land.
MCSP, located on the old Martiki coal mine site in Pilgrim, Kentucky, is solely owned by Savion, with Shell serving as the project’s asset manager. Over the next 40 years, MCSP is expected to produce enough energy to power approximately 18,500 Kentucky homes annually.
“The critical partnerships among the Martin County Judge Executive and Fiscal Court, local community members, educational advocates, economic and workforce development leaders, as well as the teams working on the ground were essential to helping bring this unique solar facility online,” said Nick Lincon, president of Savion. “Years ago, Savion saw the exceptional opportunity to develop a solar project on a former coal mine in the great state of Kentucky, which has a rich history of energy generation in this country and continues to demonstrate its commitment to powering our nation through creative solutions such as this one. We’re proud to be able to bring this project into operation and grateful to everyone who made this project a reality.”
In December 2021, MCSP received approval from the Martin County Fiscal Court and Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority (KEDFA) for a $231 million Industrial Revenue Bond (IRB) and a $600,000 sales tax incentive through the Kentucky Enterprise Initiative Act (KEIA). Construction of the solar energy facility, which began in October 2023 and concluded in December 2024, required more than 300 local jobs.
Toyota Motor North America announced on May 24, 2023, that it agreed to purchase 100 MW of the project and associated Renewable Energy Credits (REC) through a Virtual Power Purchase Agreement (VPPA) and Shell Energy North America (US), L.P. (SENA) signed a VPPA to purchase the remaining 11 MW of the project.
Interconnection costs could cancel Connecticut landfill solar project
A proposed 975 kWac solar installation at a former landfill in Windham, Connecticut, could be canceled as it faces an estimated $26 million grid interconnection costs. Verogy, the project developer, announced that solar projects of less than 1 MW typically call for electric transmission interconnection upgrades that would cost approximately $50,000 to $300,000. However, the charges proposed by Eversource to connect the Windham landfill project to the local electric grid are currently estimated to be up to 500 times higher than expected.
In 2022, the town of Windham began working with Hartford-based energy consultant TitanGen on a proposal to bring solar to the town’s former landfill. Building solar on a former landfill brings numerous advantages, including repurposing land that would otherwise remain unused. By using the landfill site, Windham would transform a burden into a community asset, providing locally generated renewable energy while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
TitanGen managed the RFP process for Windham, through which West Hartford-based solar developer Verogy was selected.
“We’ve worked closely with the town and our partners to develop a project that would deliver important environmental and financial benefits to Windham residents, but the astronomical interconnection costs have created an almost insurmountable roadblock,” said Adam Teff, GM of TitanGen. “We need immediate action to reform these barriers and ensure this project and others like it can move forward.”
The project is designed to provide energy to several Town of Windham facilities, including the Town Hall, public safety complex, and other municipal buildings, while delivering significant benefits. Once energized, the Windham landfill installation would produce over 1,939,200 kWh of renewable energy annually.
Connecticut’s interconnection process requires solar developers to bear the entire cost of any grid upgrades needed to accommodate new solar projects. These costs are often significantly higher than initially estimated, creating substantial financial barriers that can ultimately lead to project cancellations. In this case, the unexpected and exorbitant $26 million interconnection costs have put the Windham landfill project’s future in jeopardy.
“Our team has a proven track record of designing and constructing landfill-based solar installations just like the project proposed for Windham,” said Will Herchel, CEO of Verogy, the company responsible for design and construction of the project. “Unfortunately, unexpected interconnection costs are putting this vital project and its benefits at serious risk. Connecticut has made bold commitments to clean energy, yet outdated policies jeopardize projects that are vital to meeting those targets. We remain committed to collaborating with policymakers, utilities, and other stakeholders to address this challenge and make the Windham landfill solar project a reality.”
The Windham solar installation, which represents a unique opportunity to transform an underutilized piece of land into a valuable source of clean energy, will remain stalled unless Connecticut adopts an equitable cost-sharing mechanism that reflects the benefits of grid upgrades for all stakeholders, including utilities and ratepayers.
“The Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) is currently working to develop a framework for equitable cost-sharing for interconnection of renewables through Docket No. 22-06-29RE01,” Trahan said. “This process, which aims to establish an approach to fairly sharing the costs of upgrading the electric grid, not only calls for regulatory reforms, but as importantly, engagement with legislators, utilities, and clean energy developers. It is only through a proactive, transparent process that Connecticut will be able to achieve an interconnection policy that equitably facilitates renewable energy development while supporting Connecticut’s climate objectives.”
LRE to add 700 MWac of new solar projects in Oklahoma
Leeward Renewable Energy (LRE) is developing more than 700 MWac of renewable energy projects in Oklahoma. The projects are supported in part by long-term power purchase agreements (PPAs) with Google.
These projects are strategically sited to support Google’s data center operations and leadership in artificial intelligence (AI). They will bolster the reliability of Oklahoma’s electric grid by adding renewable capacity that improves stability and diversifies the energy mix, while also supporting national energy independence. This collaboration reinforces LRE’s commitment to delivering innovative solutions that address the evolving energy needs of its partners and the communities where its projects are based.
Construction has begun on the 372 MWac Mayes County Solar Portfolio, located just within one mile from Google’s data center in Pryor, Oklahoma. Together with the Twelvemile Solar Project 1 & 2 (152.5 MWac) and the Twelvemile 3 Solar Project (200 MWac), located in Southern Oklahoma, these projects total 724 MWac of solar capacity in Oklahoma.
LRE purchased the Mayes County Solar Portfolio earlier this year from Red River Renewable Energy LLC, a joint venture between SunChase Power LLC and Eolian LP. The energy generated by the solar portfolio is delivered under firm transmission service to the Grand River Dam Authority (GRDA). GRDA plans to utilize the clean energy produced by the projects to support operations at Google’s data center.
The Mayes County Solar Portfolio consists of three solar projects: Salt Branch Solar (145 MWac), Huckleberry Solar (125 MWac), and Mayes Solar (102 MWac). The projects will generate substantial economic investment in the community, creating over 300 construction jobs and contributing an estimated $76 million in tax revenue to Mayes County over their lifespan. This funding will support vital county initiatives and schools. Additionally, over $60,000 has been donated to the local Red Cross, the Chamber of Commerce, and other essential services, further strengthening community resources.
The power purchase agreements were facilitated through LEAP (LevelTen Energy’s Accelerated Process), which was co-developed by Google and LevelTen Energy to make sourcing and executing clean energy PPAs more efficient, and contribute to Google’s ambitious 2030 goal to run on 24/7 carbon-free energy (CFE) on every grid where it operates.
“This partnership with Google not only strengthens our collaboration but also contributes to the reliability of Oklahoma’s electric grid and helps advance national energy independence,” said Eran Mahrer, chief commercial officer at LRE. “By utilizing domestically manufactured equipment and creating job opportunities for Oklahomans, these projects deliver tangible benefits to local communities navigating the energy transition. They underscore our commitment to responsible development and fostering economic growth in regions critical to the future of energy.”
Tags: commercial and industrial, utility-scale
