Ameresco completes first PV project developed at US DEA facility

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email
Now operational, the PV project will cut electricity costs, provide long-term electric pricing stability and lower carbon emissions of more than 3,400 metric tons annually. Image: Ameresco

Ameresco has completed a 2.5MW PV project  for the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) at the El Paso Intelligence Center in El Paso, Texas. The installation stands as the first solar installation developed at a DEA site.

Nicole A. Bulgarino, executive vice president and general manager, federal solutions, Ameresco, said: “Ameresco applauds the leadership and vision of the DEA and the El Paso Intelligence Center as we celebrate the operation of this new solar system. We are proud to be a partner to the DEA on the agency’s first renewable energy system.”

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Unlock unlimited access for 12 whole months of distinctive global analysis

Photovoltaics International is now included.

  • Regular insight and analysis of the industry’s biggest developments
  • In-depth interviews with the industry’s leading figures
  • Unlimited digital access to the PV Tech Power journal catalogue
  • Unlimited digital access to the Photovoltaics International journal catalogue
  • Access to more than 1,000 technical papers
  • Discounts on Solar Media’s portfolio of events, in-person and virtual

Or continue reading this article for free

The 2.5MW PV project is comprised of a pair of ground-mounted solar plants on the site of the El Paso Intelligence Center. During 9,000 hours of project construction, more than 7,340 solar panels were installed at the site.

Now operational, the PV project will cut electricity costs, provide long-term electric pricing stability and lower carbon emissions of more than 3,400 metric tons annually. Ameresco will own and operate the solar project for 20 years.

The DEA contracted with Ameresco back in September 2017 under an Energy Savings Performance Contract (ESPC) through the US Department of Energy’s ESPC ENABLE program. As a whole the ESPC is expected to secure more than US$9.2 million in energy cost savings.

During the development phase, the US Department of Energy’s Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) provided technical support for project development, including grant funding through the Assisting Federal Facilities with Energy Conservation Technologies (AFFECT) program.

7 October 2025
San Francisco Bay Area, USA
PV Tech has been running an annual PV CellTech Conference since 2016. PV CellTech USA, on 7-8 October 2025 is our third PV CellTech conference dedicated to the U.S. manufacturing sector. The events in 2023 and 2024 were a sell out success and 2025 will once again gather the key stakeholders from PV manufacturing, equipment/materials, policy-making and strategy, capital equipment investment and all interested downstream channels and third-party entities. The goal is simple: to map out PV manufacturing in the U.S. out to 2030 and beyond.
21 October 2025
New York, USA
Returning for its 12th edition, Solar and Storage Finance USA Summit remains the annual event where decision-makers at the forefront of solar and storage projects across the United States and capital converge. Featuring the most active solar and storage transactors, join us for a packed two-days of deal-making, learning and networking.
16 June 2026
Napa, USA
PV Tech has been running PV ModuleTech Conferences since 2017. PV ModuleTech USA, on 16-17 June 2026, will be our fifth PV ModulelTech conference dedicated to the U.S. utility scale solar sector. The event will gather the key stakeholders from solar developers, solar asset owners and investors, PV manufacturing, policy-making and and all interested downstream channels and third-party entities. The goal is simple: to map out the PV module supply channels to the U.S. out to 2027 and beyond.

Read Next

July 1, 2025
Independent power producer (IPP) Arevon Energy has closed a US$600 million credit facility to support its solar PV and energy storage portfolio in the US.
June 30, 2025
Heliene has completed the sale of Section 45X Advanced Manufacturing Production Tax Credits in association with Minnesota-based U.S. Bank.
June 30, 2025
Voting on the US tax reconciliation bill is expected to begin in the Senate today, following a draft published on Friday that hit clean energy tax credits hard.
June 30, 2025
US clean energy developer Clearway Energy Group has received corporate credit facilities over US$1 billion.
June 26, 2025
A round-up of news from the US solar sector this week, including Akuo, Meta and RWE.
June 26, 2025
A group of minority shareholders in Norwegian silicon firm REC Silicon has triggered an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the closure of the company’s US polysilicon production site.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Media Partners, Solar Media Events
July 2, 2025
Bangkok, Thailand
Media Partners, Solar Media Events
September 2, 2025
Mexico City, Mexico
Solar Media Events
September 16, 2025
Athens, Greece
Solar Media Events
September 22, 2025
Bilbao, Spain
Solar Media Events
September 30, 2025
Seattle, USA