Acciona focuses on Texas pipeline after Red-Tailed Hawk commissioning
Acciona Energia is targeting additional developments in Texas following the successful commissioning of its Red-Tailed Hawk solar farm, according to a company spokesperson.
Red-Tailed Hawk successfully reached COD late last month. At 458 MW, it is currently the largest project in Acciona’s fleet and one of the largest projects operating in the state of Texas, with many bigger projects on the way.
NPM queue data shows there are 32 pre-operational solar projects, sized at 400 MW or higher, at an advanced stage in ERCOT.
Texas remains particularly well-suited to utility-scale development thanks to its growing population and energy demand, added the Acciona spokesperson.
“The market conditions, regulatory environment and quality of the workforce all combine to create ideal conditions to build in Texas,” the spokesperson added.
For now, Acciona notes that Red-Tailed Hawk is selling its capacity directly into the ERCOT wholesale power markets. However, the spokesperson notably said this is the project’s “current status,” indicating the door may be open for additional revenue or offtake streams down the road.
The next project expected to reach COD from Acciona’s short-term US pipeline is the 280 MW Forty Mile Wind project in Alberta, California. Acciona acquired that project from RES in late 2023. The spokesperson says Acciona has an overall pipeline of 2.7 GW in the US, which includes a mix of solar, wind and storage.
On the solar front, Acciona declined to get specific about whether it anticipates impacts in its pipeline from upcoming federal solar tariffs as the Biden Administration declines to extend its moratorium enacted two years ago. However, the spokesperson did note there is supply available from countries that will remain unaffected including India, Mexico, and Canada. The spokesperson also noted the US’s own growing pipeline of solar supply indicating domestic supply deals may be in the works for future projects.
“It is important to note the US is producing solar products and has doubled the size of its module manufacturing capacity in 2023,” the spokesperson said.
*This story was originally published exclusively for NPM subscribers last month.
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