The state of Texas witnesses the start of the construction of another large solar + battery storage project, which will soon aid its growing energy demand and balance the electrical grid.
Renewable energy operator Enel North America has started the works on the development of Ables Springs, marking its 17th renewables project in the state.
Enel breaks ground on 186-MW solar project + storage
According to the press release, Enel North America officially broke ground on the Ables Springs Solar + Storage Project in Kaufman County, Texas, on Wednesday.
The project comprises a 186-megawatt (MW) solar photovoltaic (PV) system and a 115 MW / 169 MWh battery energy storage system.
Ables Springs’ power generation capacity
The Ables Springs Solar + Storage Project is expected to generate up to 320 GWh of clean energy per year. It is apparently sufficient to supply clean power to more than 30,000 households.
The project will supposedly produce approximately $60 million in tax revenue for schools and public services in its entire life cycle. The company expects to officially launch operations at the facility in late 2024.
The company expects to generate approximately 200 construction jobs and some permanent, full-time operation jobs in the area.
Texas’ growing energy demand
As mentioned, Ables Springs is already the 17th renewables project of Enel North America in Texas. For context, the company has already deployed a combined wind and solar capacity of 3.8 GW and more than 1 GW of grid-scale storage in the state.
The company’s presence significantly aids the growing demand for energy in Texas, which reportedly consumes more energy than any other US state.
Texas advanced as the country’s leading solar and wind energy producer. Now, it seeks to increase its battery storage installments to retain the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) grid’s reliability amid extreme weather and increasing power needs. According to the US Energy Information Administration, Texas is expected to install more grid battery capacity (6.4 gigawatts) this year than any other state.
“When ERCOT conditions tightened this winter, Enel’s solar and storage plants provided crucial generation and quick-response batteries that helped keep the lights and heat on.”
Stephen Pike, head of Enel Green Power North America
Just more than a week ago, Enel exceeded 10 GW of wind and solar capacity installation throughout the US and Canada and more than 1 GW of utility-scale battery storage deployment.
