Campbell, California-based utility-scale solar and storage developer RAI Energy has commenced permitting for a hybrid solar and storage facility located in Morgan County, Colorado, US.
The developer has filed two Special Use Permit (SUP) applications with Morgan County – one relating to the solar portion of the project and the other for the BESS. After an initial public hearing held on 15 October by Morgan County’s Planning Commission, the county’s Board of Commissioners has scheduled a second public hearing for 6 November 2024 to further discuss RAI Energy’s Roadrunner Energy Farm.
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Although co-located and to be discussed under one public hearing, the Board of Commissioners will evaluate the solar and BESS portions of the site individually, with both permits requiring independent approval.
As recently reported in Energy-Storage.news, BESS developers appear to have recently set their sights on Colorado, following the emergence of plans for several large-scale battery projects in the state.
2GWh BESS paired with 500MW solar PV
RAI Energy’s Roadrunner Energy Farm will pair a 500MWac solar photovoltaic farm with an up to 500MW/2,000MWh BESS located approximately 4 miles southwest of Brush in Morgan County, Colorado. The total site is expected to encompass 2896 acres of land currently zoned for agricultural use.
Interconnection to the local grid will be achieved via investor-owned utility’s (IOU’s) Xcel Energy’s Pawnee – Storey 230kV transmission line through a gen-tie line extending from the most westerly part of the Roadrunner project. According to RAI Energy, an easement agreement allowing for the construction of this gen-tie line has already been obtained.
RAI Energy submitted an interconnection request with Xcel Energy for its Roadrunner Energy Farm in May this year (queue number GI-2024-06).
Permit extension to accommodate lengthy interconnection process
According to a dedicated website for the project, RAI Energy is aiming to commence construction on the project during the second quarter of 2026, with commercial operations scheduled for June 2027.
Under the terms of Morgan County’s zoning laws, developers have up to three years to complete “substantial completion“ of projects until the SUP expires. However, as part of its recent applications, RAI Energy is seeking approval of three year extensions to both permits.
RAI Energy stated that it is seeking the permit extensions to accommodate a “long lead time required to move [a project] through the interconnection process”.
Fire mitigation measures
Thermal runaway and fires are a huge point of contention in the BESS industry at the moment, with discussions taking place in a variety of places, such as public settings at local levels, to more technical discussions by insurance providers behind closed doors.
With this being said, local authorities are much more aware of the dangers and possibilities of BESS fires, and are putting mitigation measures in place if a fire were to occur.
As stipulated by Morgan County’s zoning laws, any party proposing to construct a BESS within the county must submit fire mitigation and emergency operation plans prior to commencing construction.
As part of the fire mitigation measures, RIA Energy’s application must include confirmation from Brush Rural Fire Protection District that the site has been evaluated for fire risks, and any such risk has been mitigated.
RAI Energy has also agreed to provide the local fire department with necessary training and equipment to handle a fire at the proposed BESS. As part of the agreement, RAI will provide ongoing training, with the fire mitigation plan reviewed and updated every three years.
If a fire did occur at RAI Energy’s Colorado Roadrunner project, the Board of Commissioners at Morgan County has the power to revoke the permit for the site if it deemed necessary.
RAI Energy: Renewable energy developments throughout Western US
Since its formation in 2016, RAI Energy claims to have developed 750MW-worth of utility-scale solar and energy storage projects throughout the western US.
This total includes the Vikings Energy Farm solar and storage project located in Imperial County, California, that RAI Energy sold to Arevon Energy during 2021.
As reported in August this year by Energy.Storage-news, offtaker for the Vikings facility, San Diego Community Power (SDCP), agreed to make amendments to the project’s PPA after Arevon experienced Covid-19 and supply-chain procurement issues.
This included delaying the project’s contracted online date, as well as reducing the BESS from 150MW/600MWh to 145.5MW/582MWh.
