OKLAHOMA CITY — An international green energy company will build a solar panel manufacturing facility in the port of Tulsa, Enola in what is being called the largest economic development project in the state’s history.
Enel North America has chosen Oklahoma to be home to one of the largest solar cell and panel plants in the country, the company and its affiliates, 3Sun USA LLC, announced in a press release Monday.
The Italian company expects to invest more than $1 billion in the new plant and create 1,000 new and permanent jobs by 2025. Enel says it could create another 900 jobs in a second phase of development.
In a statement, Giovanni Bertolino, President of 3Sun USA, said the company is proud to partner with a country that is already a leader in the energy industry.
People also read…
“Our selection of Oklahoma is a testament to the strength of the Port of Tulsa’s location in Enola, the state’s commitment to workforce development and an attractive investment climate,” he said. “With this announcement, we are taking a huge step forward in developing a state-of-the-art (solar cell) plant, providing hundreds of jobs and millions in long-term tax revenue, while moving Oklahoma to the forefront of manufacturing renewables.”
The construction of the plant, which covers an area of more than 2 million square feet, will begin in the fall. The company expects to start manufacturing solar panels by the end of 2024. The building project is expected to create more than 1,800 construction jobs.
Enell’s announcement comes just days after Governor Kevin State signed a $218.6 million stimulus package to seal the deal. State and Oklahoma Department of Commerce officials said the Enel plant would be the largest economic development project in the state.
“Enel’s expansion is a huge win for Oklahoma, and I am very pleased with their record investment in our state’s economy and workforce, which will have a lasting legacy and continue to impact Oklahomaans for generations,” State said in a statement.
May 19, 2023 Video. The new manufacturing plant is expected to create at least 1,500 new jobs.
Under the newly created Performance Act, Enel will be eligible to recover up to 10% of its capital expenditures and/or payroll costs with a required minimum investment of $1 billion. To qualify for the full $180 million in state incentives, Enel would have to invest $1.8 billion in Oklahoma over 10 years.
Lawmakers also appropriated $38.6 million for water and sanitation improvements at the Port of Tulsa in Enola as part of the deal.
Noting that Commerce Department officials are still barred from discussing some details of the deal because they are bound by non-disclosure agreements, State spokeswoman Kate Vesper declined to say whether Ennell will receive incentives from the governor’s fast-track fund.
President Joe Biden said his administration’s clean, business-friendly energy policies helped pave the way for Enel’s expansion into the United States
The Biden administration’s Inflation Reduction Act, which includes billions of dollars in subsidies to increase green energy development and encourage companies to build solar panels, wind turbines and electric vehicle batteries in the United States, prompted Enel officials to scour sites for a new plant, accordingly. To the company’s press release.
“Today’s announcement from Enel is the latest evidence of the success of my agenda in investing in America, and the resurgence of American manufacturing,” Biden said in a statement. “The well-paying jobs where Americans can raise a family are being created in cities and communities in every corner of the country.”
Enl already has a presence in Oklahoma. The company has a regional office in Oklahoma City and operates 13 wind farms across the state.
Discussions about the new plant have been under way since last May when Tulsa Regional Chamber and Department of Commerce officials met with Enel executives during the PGA Championship in Tulsa, said Arthur Jackson, senior vice president with the chamber.
“Enel North America has a global reputation for forging new paths with clean energy, and this long-term commitment to Oklahoma as a solar panel supplier will highlight the Port of Inola and its ability to accommodate large-scale development,” Jackson said.
Italy-based textile manufacturer Sovidel has named the port of Tulsa in Enola since 2020. The 2,500-acre industrial park is located about 20 miles east of Tulsa.
The new Tulsa World app offers personalized features. Download it today.
Users can customize the app so you see the stories that matter most to you. You can also sign up for personalized notifications so you never miss important news.
If you’re on your phone, download it here now: Apple Store or google apps
Visualize solar energy capacity across the United States
Visualize solar energy capacity across the United States
When Congress passed the Lowering Inflation Act in August 2022, billions of dollars were set aside and millions of acres were earmarked for renewable energy expansion. This unprecedented investment—an estimated $369 billion in climate and energy financing—spurred the private industry to get in on the act. Morningstar Direct, as reported by CNBC, found that more than $425 million had been invested by a private foundation in US renewable energy exchange funds as of Aug. 12, less than a week before President Biden signed the IRA into law.
One of the most popular forms of sustainable renewable energy is solar energy. Solar PV is produced when sunlight is converted into electricity. The most efficient way to harness sunlight for electricity on an industrial scale is to plant large panels of silicon on solar farms. Large utility-scale solar power plants have become more efficient and affordable over the decades, and are seeing widespread installation as the green energy boom accelerates, particularly in regions such as California and the Southwest.
Solar power generation is the fastest growing renewable energy source. Not only are photovoltaics looking more attractive to homeowners, but commercial developments are also beginning to see the advantage of including solar collector systems in new construction or retrofitting existing structures for solar capacity.
The Inflation Control Act created the Energy Infrastructure Reinvestment Program, a loan program designed to help communities repurpose existing energy infrastructure such as decommissioned coal plants and oil pipelines, as well as retrofit homes and businesses with new photovoltaic technology.
With investing in solar power now top of mind for both government and private organizations, Rocket Solar gathered data from the Energy Information Administration to analyze solar utility use, development, and how it has grown over the past 30 years.
VGC // Getty Images
Solar power plant locations
In 2021, California’s energy costs were the third highest in the country, with costs rising only in Hawaii and Alaska. To offset costs and reduce fossil fuel emissions, the Biden administration has set aside more than 10 million acres of federally protected desert land in the state to develop solar farms. Most of these acres are located in the southern half of the state.
Other regions in the South, most notably Texas, are also keeping pace with new solar installations. Traditionally thought to be an oil and gas nation, Texas announced plans to add 10 gigawatts (GW) of solar capacity by the end of 2023, and it did so in the middle of the pandemic amid growing economic uncertainty. If the state achieves this goal, it will account for a third of the 30 gigawatts expected to be brought into service nationwide next year.
Rocket Solar
The largest solar utility in the United States
Texas produces and consumes the most electricity of any state, yet its power grid is not as robust as one would expect given that fact, as evidenced by its catastrophic failure in February 2021 that resulted in 246 deaths. Sees the Texas Electrical Reliability Board, which It manages the state’s electrical grid and tracks wind and solar power generation, valuable in ramping up alternative and renewable energy sources. Large-scale megaprojects thrive in West Texas where intense sun and vast expanses of open land create ideal conditions for solar power generation.
The state’s largest solar power plant, the Permian 2W Hybrid Solar Project, located in Andrews County near the New Mexico border, contains 1.3 million solar panels and is estimated to be able to produce enough power to power more than 80,000 homes. The generally flat nature and terrain of Andrews County lends itself to solar field development, which recently caught the attention of companies from Best Buy, which has funded the Prospero II solar farm in its effort to become carbon neutral by 2040.
Rocket Solar
The growth of solar energy facilities
In 2006, the California Public Utilities Commission approved a $3 billion statewide plan to subsidize commercial and residential solar installations. A solar cell has finally been developed that breaks the “40% threshold” – meaning the cell has a conversion of sunlight into energy in excess of 40%. Silicon Valley has become a bright spot for the development of new solar energy technology.
In the intervening years, solar power plants have grown exponentially in size and number. In 2010, there were just over 100 utility-scale plants in the United States; As of 2020, that number has grown sixfold.
The Infrastructure Investments and Jobs Act of 2021 added $10 million to the Energy Department’s budget for solar manufacturing and recycling, bringing that to $56 million. International asset management companies, such as Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners K/S, are doubling down on renewables. CIP announced a partnership with Bank of America Corp. in 2020 to fund the construction of a solar project in Pecos County, Texas, a state that is already the largest exporter of electricity in the country.
Rocket Solar
Sunshine across the United States
The southwestern United States typically receives the strongest amount of direct sunlight and, compared to other regions of the United States, has less tree canopy and foliage cover on the ground—as well as generally warmer temperatures. While no region in the United States has the potential to harness and benefit from solar energy, this southwest region–which includes parts of California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, and New Mexico–has the greatest potential on a large scale. The area averages 6.5 to 7.5 kilowatt-hours per day (kWh) per square meter, which is the highest annual direct sunlight in the country according to the National Solar Radiation Database.
For example, solar PV plants in Arizona have outperformed every other state’s solar generation—but Utah, California, and Nevada follow closely. What’s especially telling is the fact that Arizona only has a fifth of the installed capacity of California and yet it outperformed Golden State from 2014-2017, according to EIA data. PV modules have the largest PV capacity over large tracts of land with direct exposure to the sun at a high angle, making the southwestern states prime real estate for solar farms.
Areas that don’t have year-round sunny weather like New England or the East Coast still average 4 to 5 kWh per day per square meter, so don’t quite count it out. In fact, North Carolina, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and New York are among the top 10 states for solar energy adoption with the most megawatts of solar energy installed.
This story originally appeared on Rocket Solar and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio.
Rocket Solar
#Enel #building #billiondollar #solar #panel #plant #port #Tulsa #Enola