Coal State Killing Coal With Photo voltaic Energy, One Megawatt At A Time

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Followers of US politics is not going to be shocked to know that the coal state of West Virginia has been achingly gradual to hitch the solar energy revolution. It at the moment ranks a lowly forty ninth in a state-by-state rating of put in photo voltaic capability. Nonetheless, three photo voltaic and vitality storage tasks are transferring ahead, indicating {that a} change is within the wind.

West Virginia To Extra Than Double Its Put in Photo voltaic Capability

First up is a brand new 18.9 megawatt photo voltaic array at Fort Martin, which simply went on-line originally of January. It’s the primary in a set of 5 photo voltaic arrays deliberate by FirstEnergy Subsidiary Mon Energy and its fellow utility Potomac Edison.

All collectively the 5 websites will whole 50 megawatts in capability. That doesn’t sound like a lot in a day and age when triple-digit photo voltaic growth is commonplace. Nevertheless, it’s a big deal when it comes to the expansion of the West Virginia solar energy profile.

The final time we checked, the Photo voltaic Power Industries Affiliation clocked simply 35 megawatts of put in photo voltaic capability in West Virginia. The brand new arrays will greater than double that determine, to 85 megawatts.

“The event and operation of renewable vitality immensely impacts the native financial system by bringing companies to West Virginia. This not solely creates jobs, however encourages financial growth throughout the state, ” notes FirstEnergy.

Solar energy from the 5 arrays will likely be made out there to ratepayers below a voluntary subscription plan, so it will likely be fascinating to see if there’s a rush to enroll. West Virginia ratepayers served by Mon Energy and Potomac Edison can discover out extra by checking into the FirstEnergy web site at firstenergycorp.com/WVSolar.

A Photo voltaic Energy Microgrid For A New Battery Manufacturing facility

That factor about renewable vitality encouraging financial growth throughout the state shouldn’t be information to the West Virginia Financial Growth Authority. In 2022, the company tapped BHE Renewables to buy a former aluminum plant in Ravenswood and redevelop its 2,000 acres of land right into a “first-of-its-kind renewable vitality microgrid-powered industrial web site,” with solar energy to be the renewable vitality in query.

“The West Virginia Financial Growth Authority is working with BHE Renewables to carry further companies to the location to reap the benefits of the prime manufacturing location and renewable vitality infrastructure,” Governor Jim Justice’s workplace added in a press launch.

Apparently BHE is main by instance. BHE is a department of Berkshire Hathaway Power, which is finding its Precision Castparts Company department on the Ravenswood web site.

PCC is tasked with growing “a state-of-the-art titanium soften facility that may use 100% renewable vitality to fabricate titanium merchandise for the aerospace and different industries,” BHE introduced in a press launch in September of 2022.

“Manufacturing our merchandise with 100% renewable vitality advantages PCC and our clients as we try to reduce the impression of our operations and properly use pure assets,” added PCC President Steve Wright.

Final March, the Governor’s workplace additionally introduced that the Michigan vitality storage innovator Our Subsequent Power is organising store on the Ravenswood web site. The corporate will deploy Aries lithium iron phosphate battery cells from its Michigan manufacturing unit to provide vitality storage methods at a brand new plant in Ravenswood. It can additionally produce a system for use within the BHE microgrid, guaranteeing 24/7 entry to solar energy for itself and different tenants on the web site.

“The BHE Renewables microgrid mission, estimated at 420 MWh, in Jackson County represents a historic transition to renewable energy-based manufacturing within the U.S. and establishes a normal for others to comply with,” enthused ONE founder and CEO Mujeeb Ijaz.

“Constructing upon BHE Renewables’ dedication to this web site and the State of West Virginia, ONE’s first Aries Grid manufacturing unit will carry much more jobs and funding to this space to assist clear a path to a carbon-free manufacturing future,” Ijaz added.

Coal State To Export Coal-Killing Batteries To Different States

Repurposing an deserted industrial web site can be the theme behind one other vitality storage innovator taking on roots in West Virginia. Final month, CleanTechnica took be aware of the Massachusetts startup Type Power, which has developed an iron-air battery that falls into the much-desired lengthy length vitality storage class. The corporate scouted 500 potential websites for its new manufacturing unit across the nation earlier than selecting the previous Weirton Metal plant in West Virginia.

“The attraction consisted partly of availability of an acceptable brownfield, the deserted Weirton Metal plant on the Ohio River. Entry to river, rail, and freeway transportation corridors was one other issue, and the providing of a state incentive bundle price as much as $290 million sealed the deal,” we wrote.

The US Division of Power has set a minimal objective of 10 hours for lengthy length methods. Storage methods that may final for 10 hours or longer will assist shepherd extra wind and solar energy into the grid.

Type claims 100 hours of length for its vitality storage system, which it’s going to mass produce in West Virginia to be used throughout the nation.

A $700 Million Innovation Hall For West Virginia

To ice the renewable vitality cake, on January 3 Governor Jim Justice introduced that LG NOVA the brand new startup launchpad established by LG Electronics, has launched into a five-year, $700 million initiative to set up an innovation hall in West Virgina. The hall will likely be anchored by new LG NOVA workplaces in Huntington and Morgantown, the place Marshall College and West Virginia College are situated.

It stays to be seen what function solar energy will play within the combine. LG NOVA launched in 2021 and up to now its principal focus seems to be on digital well being methods. Nevertheless, it does assist a clear tech mission.

“We need to ship options that create better entry to scrub vitality and sustainability options throughout international communities enabling everybody to contribute to and profit from a more healthy planet,” LG NOVA explains. “With a concentrate on rising the impression of unpolluted expertise options, we’re creating new alternatives for companies and folks.”

One other mission to keep watch over is a brand new solar energy testing facility deliberate for the I-79 Expertise Park in Fairmont, below the umbrella of West Virginia College. Final January the varsity reported that the mission on monitor to obtain a $2.3 million grant from the US Division of Power.

If all goes in keeping with plan, the testbed may also double as a solar energy microgrid with vitality storage for tenants of the location.

‘The Excessive Expertise Basis, developer of the I-79 Expertise Park, is transferring the park in the direction of carbon-neutral operations in response to a rising demand from its knowledge-sector tenants,” WVU notes.

No surprises there. Regardless of all of the ranting and raving in opposition to ESG investing from the Republican facet of the aisle, US companies need extra clear vitality, and they’re getting it.

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Photograph: Solar energy is entrance and middle in West Virginia’s plans for attracting new companies to the state (courtesy of FirstEnergy).