Texas Leads U.S. Solar-Power Kickoffs in First-Quarter 2024

Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--The declining costs of building and operating solar farms are spurring a swath of solar-energy developments across the U.S., where utility-scale capacity increased from 61 gigawatts (GW) in 2021 to 71 GW in 2022, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA); the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and Wood Mackenzie estimate the U.S. could see another 32 GW installed by the end of 2023. Industrial Info is tracking nearly $5 billion worth of U.S. solar-energy projects that have a high likelihood (81% or more) of beginning construction as planned in the first quarter of 2024. More than $2 billion of the total is attributed to projects in Texas.

Click on the image at right for a graph detailing the top 10 parent companies for solar-power projects set to kick off from January through March, by total investment value.

Earlier this year, Texas dethroned California as the leading U.S. state for utility-scale solar installations, which supply energy to a power grid instead of an individual location. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), which manages 90% of the Texas power grid, reported 18,364 megawatts (MW) of solar capacity installed on its grid as of September 30, while the California Independent System Operator (CAISO), which manages the grid for 80% of California and a small part of Nevada, reported 17,277 MW installed by the same date, according to the Houston Chronicle.

Indeed, the single highest-valued solar project set to kick off in the coming quarter is to be found in the Texas Panhandle, a sunny terrain that boasts clear skies and short winters. Renegade Renewables LLC (New York, New York), with financial backing from Blue Planet Funding LLC (New York, New York), is preparing to begin construction on the $900 million Dawn Solar Plant in Hereford, Texas, which will generate 683 MW from roughly 1.55 million photovoltaic (PV) panels. Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Power Project and Plant databases can learn more from a detailed project report and plant profile.

About 200 miles southeast of Hereford, Innovative Solar Systems LLC (Asheville, North Carolina) is readying for its $219 million Indigo Solar Plant in Sylvester, Texas. National Grid Renewables, the U.S.-focused unit of National Grid plc (NYSE:NGG) (London, England), is preparing to kick off work on the $300 million Blevins Solar Plant in Lott, Texas, about 150 miles south of National Grid's 275-MW Noble Solar Plant, which began operations last year. Subscribers can read detailed reports on the Indigo and Blevins projects.

Arizona, another southwestern state known for its heat-intensive summers, boasts the second-highest valued solar project set to kick off next quarter: Birch Infrastructure's (Lake Oswego, Oregon) $350 million Phase II of the Harquahala Sun Solar project near Tonopah, which follows the $180 million Phase I that kicked off in October. Together, these projects would generate 450 MW, which could be more than doubled if the 550-MW Phase III begins construction, as proposed, in 2025. The project got a boost last month from the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, which approved a 500-kilovolt transmission line that will connect the facility with a major substation. Subscribers can read detailed reports on Phase I, Phase II, Phase III and the transmission line.

Ranger Power (Chicago, Illinois), which trails only Blue Planet in its investment in first-quarter kickoffs, is preparing to begin work on two major solar projects across the heartland: the $250 million Hawkeye Solar Plant near Grand Mound, Iowa, and the $190 million Heartwood Solar Farm near Jonesville, Michigan, which are designed to generate 200 and 150 MW, respectively, upon completion in 2025. Subscribers can read detailed reports on the Hawkeye and Heartwood projects.

Subscribers to Industrial Info's GMI Project Database can click here for a full list of detailed reports for projects mentioned in this article, and click here for a full list of related plant profiles.

Subscribers can click here for a full list of reports for U.S. solar-energy projects that have a high likelihood of beginning construction as planned in the first quarter of 2024.

Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) platform helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking more than 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 trillion (USD).