Focus
Santa Cruz County releases draft battery storage ordinance
The Pajaronian – January 2
The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on January 13 will review proposed rules governing large-scale battery energy storage systems (BESS), which are expected to allow the controversial facilities to be built in unincorporated areas of the county while giving local officials a measure of control over where they are placed. Supervisors will consider the principal components of a draft ordinance that would amend the county’s General Plan and County Code to permit BESS facilities, under a new combining district. The proposal would apply outside the coastal zone and focus on facilities located near existing electrical transmission substations.
News
Ørsted and Equinor sue challenging stop-work orders for offshore wind farms
The Maritime Executive – January 2
Two more offshore wind farms filed suits against the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) after they were ordered in late December to stop work due to “national security” concerns. Danish offshore wind energy developer Ørsted amended its existing complaint in U.S. District Court to challenge the stop-work order on the nearly completed Revolution Wind project, while Norwegian company Equinor filed a civil suit on January 2 for the Empire Wind project. Both companies said they would file motions for a preliminary injunction against BOEM, which issued the stop-work order on December 22.
Clean energy supporter groups sue IRS over anti-solar, wind tax rules
Solar Builder – December 23
Several groups with strong interests in clean energy, led by the Oregon Environmental Council, have sued the IRS and Treasury Department over anti-solar and wind tax guidance which they say “illegally hurts renewable energy.” Filed on December 18 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, the lawsuit includes seven plaintiffs from around the country.
Projects
SMUD ends power deal for Coyote Creek solar project tied to environmental suit
The Sacramento Bee – January 5
Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) announced Monday that it was canceling the power purchase agreement it signed with DESRI for the Coyote Creek solar project, citing “project uncertainties,” including environmental impacts and pending litigation. The project was proposed to provide energy to more than 44,000 homes served by SMUD, but it faced strong opposition from environmental and tribal communities because the site lay in one of the state’s remaining oak woodlands and could put up to 3,500 blue and native oak trees at risk of removal.
Hydrostor secures key permit for 500 MW, 8-hour California energy storage facility
Utility Dive – December 23
The California Energy Commission has issued its final permit for a first-of-its-kind energy storage system that can discharge at full power for up to eight hours. The 500 MW/4 GWh Willow Rock Energy Storage Center in Kern County would use proprietary compressed-air technology developed by Hydrostor.
Avantus bags $300M for large solar-storage site in California
Renewables Now – December 19
Avantus has closed a $300-million tax equity investment for a hybrid project in California that combines 200 MW of solar power capacity, backed by a 500 MWh battery energy storage system. The financing is provided by Truist Bank and will be directed to the Aratina 1 project in Kern County, which advances Avantus’ push towards becoming an independent power producer.
California Energy Commission kills the Fountain Wind Project in Shasta County
Jefferson Public Radio – December 22
The California Energy Commission has dealt the final blow to a proposed wind farm in Shasta County. The developers behind the Fountain Wind Project were making one last effort to get the project approved through a new state process meant to speed up renewable energy permitting. But commission members voted unanimously to deny the project, following a recommendation from their staff.
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