US independent power producer (IPP) Hawthorne Renewable Energy (HWNRE) has commenced permitting for a 300MW solar project co-located with a 300MW/1,200MWh BESS in Grant County, Washington.
The Phoenix, Arizona-headquartered IPP and developer is seeking a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) with Grant County’s Planning Department and this week launched a dedicated website for the project. HWNRE expects the CUP to be granted during March next year.
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HWNRE was officially launched last year through the merging of Power Capital Energy Group and Sulus Solar, with a focus on developing, building and owning utility-scale projects throughout the United States.
The company is backed by French private equity firm Omnes Capital which pledged to invest US$250 million in HWNRE at the time of its formation. Although Omnes Capital has previously made energy storage-related investments in Europe, HWNRE marks the company’s first move in the US.
Appledale Energy Center
HWNRE’s Appledale Energy Center will encompass 3,160 acres of agricultural and rural resource land in western Grant County, which borders Douglas County.
Although specific battery suppliers weren’t mentioned, HWNRE confirmed that it would be utilising lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery energy storage system (BESS) technology for the project adhering to National Fire Protection Association Code 855.
HWNRE commissioned Alpha Environmental Services to conduct a Phase I Environmental Assessment of the proposed project during 2023 that didn’t raise any issues, with assessors recommending that further investigation of the site wasn’t required. The developer is aiming to commence construction on the project during the first quarter of 2027 at the earliest, with commercial operations scheduled for the second quarter of 2028.
Interconnecting with Grant County PUD
The project is expected to connect to the grid via Grant County Public Utility District’s (GCPUD’s) Columbia – Rocky Ford 230kV transmission line.
HWNRE submitted an interconnection request with GCPUD, through its Appledale Energy Center, LLC subsidiary, in September 2023 (queue number 10). According to contract completion reports made available to the public by GCPUD, the utility completed an interconnection study agreement in August this year at a cost of US$12 million.
HWNRE hopes to obtain the final Large Generation Interconnection Agreement (LGIA) during the first quarter of 2026.
NextEra Energy Resources’ battery storage plans for Grant County
HWNRE isn’t the only developer looking to install batteries in Grant County, with Juno Beach, Florida-based NextEra Energy Resources (NEER) having also engaged with county officials this year.
In March 2024, NEER submitted a pre-application with the Washington county’s planning department for a CUP to construct a 400MW solar farm co-located with a 100MW BESS dubbed the Dry Falls Solar project.
The facility is expected to encompass approximately 2,5155 acres of agricultural land and connect to one of three existing transmission lines bisecting the site owned by Bonneville Power Administration (BPA).
NEER has earmarked US$550 million for the project which is scheduled to come online as early as next year.
Washington State BESS sector impacted by local moratoriums
As regular readers of Energy-Storage.news will be aware, there have been several high-profile discussions on moratoriums of new BESS facilities across the US, from San Diego County officials in California to local town authorities in New York.
Washington has also had its fair share of discussion, with officials at Skagit County located in the northwestern portion of Washington having recently passed a six-month moratorium on the development of new BESS facilities on Skagit farmland. Although initially lasting for half a year, the county has said that they would extend beyond this if necessary.
Unlike in other discussions taking place across the US, officials at Skagit County seemed more concerned with projects taking up farmland, as opposed to the battery facilities setting on fire.
Following the enactment of the moratorium, Skagit County released a statement on 23 September 2024 which quoted Commissioner Lisa Janicki. Janicki said that although the commission understood the “importance of a stable energy supply… Skagit farmland is irreplaceable”.
NextEra Energy Resources’ 200MW Mount Vernon BESS in Washington
With the moratorium only applying to BESS projects proposed for Skagit farmland, NEER will be hoping to progress another one of its Washington developments in a couple of weeks’ time.
Skagit County officials are set to hold a public hearing on 20 December 2024, for NEER’s 200MW Mount Vernon standalone BESS, proposed for 22.55 acres of industrially zoned land near the community of Avon.
Although the moratorium won’t apply to this project, local media coverage on the recent moratorium has focused heavily on this project. With the majority of this coverage painting BESS in a negative light, the meeting has the potential to draw a large crowd.
