News Roundup
Engie Buys 6 Gigawatts of U.S. Solar, Battery Projects
Engie North America has acquired 33 new solar and battery storage projects under development across the United States from Belltown Power US. This includes 2.7 gigawatts of solar paired with 0.7 gigawatts of energy storage, as well as 2.6 gigawatts of standalone batteries. These projects are in early to late stages of development. Engie gave the location of these projects by grid operator, naming grids that span Texas, the Midwest, parts of the East Coast, and the Western United States.
Engie currently owns 3.9 gigawatts of operational renewable energy assets in the United States.
EPA to Provide Rebates for More than 2,300 Electric School Buses
The Biden Administration has selected 389 school districts to receive rebates for new school buses, 95% of which will be electric. Rebates for 2,493 new buses will be distributed to districts in all 50 states and Washington D.C., along with some to federally recognized Native American tribes and U.S. territories. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reports that school districts serving low-income, rural and/or tribal students make up 99% of the projects that were selected.
EPA is reviewing additional applications and plans to select more school districts in coming weeks to reach a full $965 million in awards. EPA states that it is partnering with the U.S. Department of Energy and U.S. Department of Transportation to provide technical assistance to school districts. These rebate awards represent the first tranche of a 5-year, $5 billion program created under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, signed by President Biden in November 2021.
Source: Biden-Harris Administration Announces Nearly $1 Billion from EPA’s Clean School Bus Program for 389 School Districts (EPA)
First Renewable Energy Purchases under Gigaton PPA Project
Walmart has announced that five of its suppliers have joined in an aggregate power purchase agreement (PPA) with Ørsted’s 200 MW Sunflower Wind Farm in Kansas. This is the first purchase under Walmart and Schneider Electric’s “Gigaton PPA” initiative launched in 2020, which aims to reduce or avoid one billion metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. Amy’s Kitchen, Great Lakes Cheese, J.M. Smucker, Levi Strauss, and Valvoline have jointly entered into the 12-year PPA with the project. According to Walmart, Gigaton PPA is designed to educate its suppliers about renewable energy purchases and assist them through the process.
Source: Gigaton PPA: Walmart, Ørsted and Schneider Electric Announce First Cohort for Renewable Energy Supply Chain Program (Walmart)
