The U.S. continues to work to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This is driving energy demand to continue to grow. To meet the demand, utilities and developers continue to increase renewable energy including solar generation in their national energy mix.
Today, approximately three percent of U.S. electricity is generated by solar sources in solar PV (P.V.). Concentrated solar-thermal power and (CSP). The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) forecast that in 2022, the solar power share would inch up to 5% in the U.S. energy mix, while by 2050, it would meet a fifth of the country’s electricity demand.
According to the EIA’s Preliminary Monthly Electric Generator Inventory (PMEGI), approximately 46.1 GW of additional utility-scale electrical generating capacity will be added to the U.S. grid by 2022. About half of this will be generated by solar power. More than half of the total solar-plus-storage capacity will be installed within these two years in three states, including 12 GW Texas, 11 California GW, and 4 GW New York.
FirmoGraphs monitors the progress of infrastructure projects, from concept to commercial operation, and keeps this information in a single database, dashboards, maps, and map. This business intelligence is made available to interested parties, such as U.S. infrastructure contractors. Data is sourced through industry news and filings with all 50 states and Washington, D.C.’s Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
These are ten important solar-plus storage projects that are currently in regulatory permitting. The projects have a combined power generation capacity of 7.1 GW and storage capacity of hundreds of megawatt-hours. The table summarizes also include information on added transmission lines and the battery energy storage system (BESS).
| Name Project | Owner | Solar Generation Capacity (MW). | Capacity of BESS (MWh). | State |
| Chill Sun Solar Project | Naturgy Candela Devco, LLC | 2,250 MW | Nevada | |
| American Glory Solar Project | American Glory, LLC | 1,500 MW | 6,000 | Nevada |
| Orken Solar Project | Orken Solar LLC | 1,500 MW | 6,000 | Nevada |
| Outpost Solar Project | Hecate Energy Outpost Solar LLC | 513.7 MW | Texas | |
| Hornet Solar | Hornet Solar, LLC | 500 MW | Texas | |
| Coyote Creek Agrivoltaic ranch Project | Sacramento Valley Energy Center, LLC | 200 MW | 400 | California |
| Angelo Solar | Angelo Solar, LLC | 195 MW | Texas | |
| Springwater Solar Project | Springwater Solar, LLC | 155 MW | 300* | Ohio |
| Winnebago Solar Project | Winnebago Solar and Storage LLC | 150 MW | 200* | Minnesota |
| Beltran Solar Energy Center | Beltran Solar, LLC | 140 MW | 600* | California |
*Estimated that battery will have a 4-hour duration
Details and Projects
Chill Sun Solar Project Nevada
Naturgy Candela Devco LLC filed notices to the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada, (PUCN), and the Bureau of Land Management(BLM) in January 2022 for the construction of the Chill Sun Solar Project. It would include the photovoltaic facility with a capacity of 2,250 MW, a BEES and a 525-kV generation tie line. The project site is located in the northern part of Nye County, Nevada. It is expected to be in service by September 2027. Once it has obtained other licenses, including clearance by BLM, the company will submit a second application to PUCN for a Utility Environmental Protection Act (UEPA), permit permit.
American Glory Solar Project, Nevada
American Glory Solar LLC filed a January 2022 application with the BLM to establish a photovoltaic power station and battery storage facility northwest from Silver Peak in Esmeralda, Nevada. It will generate 1,500MW of electricity, establish a 230kV generation tieline running from the site, to the Amargosa Substation, a BEES and other ancillary facilities. The project will include 1,000 MW DC/Coupled BEES and 500-MW AC-Coupled ESS. The BESS duration is between 4-8hrs. This will result in a total BESS power of between 6,000 MWh to 12,000MWh. After approval, the company will submit an UEPA application to the Commission in order to obtain additional permits for construction (PTC).
Orken Solar Project, Nevada
Orken Solar, LLC plans construction of a 1,500 MW photovoltaic facility, a BEES, and a 230-kV generation tie line. It has filed a notice to the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada as well as the Bureau of Land Management. Orken Solar will file a UEPA request with the PUCN to obtain one or more permits for the construction (PTC). The proposed project is in Nye County (Nevada).
Outpost Solar Project, Texas
Hecate Energy Outpost Solar LLC started the process to construct a photovoltaic electric generating facility with a 513.7MW capacity. Hecate Energy Outpost Solar LLC, a subsidiary of Hecate Energy, signed an ERCOT Standard Generation Interconnection Agreement for this project with Electric Transmission Texas, LLC, in January 2022. Electric Transmission Texas, LCC, (ETT), filed the agreement with Texas Public Utilities Commission (PUCT) to provide information. It will be located in Webb County approximately 17 miles southeast of Encinal.
Hornet Solar, Texas
Oncor Electric Delivery Company LCC, and Hornet Solar have filed an Interconnection Agreement with the Public Utilities Commission of Texas (PUCT) in January 2022. It will review the documents and determine if the project is necessary. The project is located in Swisher County Texas with a nameplate power of 503.21 MW. It will go into commercial operation in December 2023. Hornet Solar, LLC, (Generator), signed an agreement with Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC for the solar project. It includes 690 inverters, each rated as 0.807 MVA and having a total gross output of 556.83MVA.
Angelo Solar, Texas
Angelo Solar submitted with the Public Utility Commission of Texas an Interconnection Agreement Standard Generation between Angelo Solar LCC and LCRA Transmission Services Corporation. The agreement was signed by both parties in December 2021. The plant is a solar-generation facility with one Point of Interconnection to grid. The Point of Interconnection will provide a nominal plant rating of approximately 195MW power.
Springwater Solar Project, Ohio
Springwater Solar, LLC filed a notice letter with the Ohio Power Siting Board for a solar-powered generation facility to be built in Fairfield Township, Madison County, Ohio, and Pleasant Township, Franklin County, Ohio. It would span 1,150 acres with a 155MW generation capacity and a 75MW BESS. The facility could supply electricity to 32,000 homes each year. It is expected to begin construction in early 2023. Commercial operations are expected to be completed in the fourth-quarter of 2023.
Winnebago Solar Project, Minnesota
Winnebago Solar and Storage LLC applied for a Certificate Of Need (CN), January 2022, to Minnesota Public Utilities Commission in order to construct and manage the Winnebago Solar and Storage Project. It will generate 150 MW of solar energy and have a 50 MW associated BESS. The project covers more than 1,208 acres in Verona and Prescott Townships of Faribault County, South-Central Minnesota. The installation of tracking PV panels is planned. The company plans to build the plant according to a schedule that allows for an in-service date in either late 2023 or early 20,24.
California: Coyote creek Agrivoltaic Ranch Project
Sacramento Valley Energy Center (LCC) has initiated, under the California Environmental Quality Acts (CEQA), a permit to construct and operate the Coyote Creek Farms Agrivoltaic Ranch project. It is expected to begin construction next year and will be the largest Northern California solar project. The project name contains “Agri” indicating that the project combines livestock operations with clean energy generation. Operation is expected to begin in 2024. The plan is to supply 44,000 homes with power. The project combines a 200-MW solar array with a 100/400 MWh BESS. It is located on 2,555 acres in Sacramento County, between Folsom and Rancho Murieta. D. E.
Shaw Renewable Investments (DERI), co-developer Bona Terra Energy, is developing the project under the name Sacramento Valley Energy Center LLC. DERI and Sacramento Municipal Utility District signed a power purchase agreement in March 2022. DERI and SMUD signed a power-purchase agreement.
Beltran Solar Energy Center in California
Beltran Solar, LLC was formed under the California Environmental Quality Act to modify the existing conditional permit (CUP), for Beltran Ranch Solar Facility, also called the Beltran Solar Center. In April 2013, the Stanislaus County Planning Commission approved this CUP. It was then supported by a Mitigation negative declaration (MND). The original plan was for the 140 MW solar photovoltaic plant to be constructed and operated in three phases over 606 acres. None of the phases have been completed. Beltran recently proposed the construction of one phase in 18 months on the original project site. Recent additions include ancillary facilities and a 34.5-kV collector cable that will connect the Beltran project to Proxima’s solar energy center substation.
