Three notable project stories have come out of the US this week, with EDF Renewables commissioning the final phase of an Ohio solar portfolio, EDP Renewables finalising offtake agreements for two California projects and Origis completing work at the latest phase of a municipal solar plant in Florida.
EDF Renewables commissions final phase of 577MW Fox Squirrel solar project
EDF Renewables North America and Enbridge have commissioned the final phase of the 577MW Fox Squirrel Solar project in Ohio, the largest onshore renewable energy project developed and built by EDF’s North American arm.
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The project is part-owned by Canadian energy company Enbridge, and engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) services were provided by US firm Geenex Solar. EDF Renewables North America also announced that energy generated at the project will also be sold to technology giant Amazon through multiple power purchase agreements (PPAs).
The facility was commissioned in three phases: the first phase, including 150MW of capacity, was brought online in December 2023; the second phase, which has 250MW of capacity, was commissioned in July 2024; and the final phase was commissioned last December.
“Fox Squirrel has brought hundreds of jobs and millions of dollars to Madison County throughout the development and construction phase,” said Kate O’Hair, senior vice president for onshore development at EDF Renewables North America. “As we transition into the operational phase, we are committed to continuing to be a responsible and reliable neighbour and strengthening our environmental and community stewardship.”
EDP Renewables finalises Sandrini solar projects, offtake agreements
EDP Renewables North America has commissioned the Sandrini I and II solar projects in Kern County, California, which have a collective capacity of 300MW.
The company noted that the projects were commissioned in the fourth quarter of 2024. Power from the 200MW Sandrini I project will be sold to oil and gas major Shell under a 15-year PPA, while power from the 100MW Sandrini II project will be sold to the Redwood Coast Energy Authority (RCEA), a community choice aggregator in California that is looking to deliver 100% renewable energy to its customers by the end of the decade, under a separate 15-year PPA.
The RCEA provides more than 90% of the electricity for Humboldt County in California, which had a population of 133,985 in 2023, and the deal follows the signing of offtake agreements for almost 400MW of capacity by four other community choice aggregators in the state last October. According to EDP Renewables, California’s community choice aggregators have brought online 8GW of renewable power capacity, and have deals in place to add a further 10GW of clean energy capacity.
FMPA and Origis Energy add third facility to Florida Municipal Solar Project
The Florida Municipal Power Agency (FMPA) and Origis Energy have commissioned the 75MW Rice Creek Solar Energy Center in Putnam County, Florida.
The project is the third site in the Florida Municipal Solar Project, one of the largest municipal-backed solar projects in the US with a total capacity of 300MW. The FMPA is owned by 33 utilities, and power from the Rice Creek solar farm will be delivered to 12 utilities, all of which are member-owners of FMPA, including the first solar projects to be connected to the grid in Havana, New Smyrna Beach and Newberry.
Origis Energy provided building work at the Rice Creek project, with financial support coming from a term loan from the Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group last April. The company will own and operate the project moving forward, and announced that construction work started on a fourth project in the portfolio, Whistling Duck Solar, at the end of 2024. It expects the portfolio to grow to seven sites and 525MW of power “over the next few years”.
“We are excited to expand our solar power generation and bring even more affordable and clean energy to our members,” said FMPA CEO and general manager Jacob Williams. “By working together, our members and their communities benefit from additional solar-powered energy that’s both cost-effective and carbon-free.”
