National Grid Renewables welcomed project partners and landowners to celebrate the start of construction on its Copperhead Solar & Storage Project, a 150 MW solar and 100 MWh storage project in Falls County, Texas. During the groundbreaking event, National Grid Renewables also announced a 140MW PPA with The Hershey Company for Copperhead, marking the second PPA between The Hershey Company and National Grid Renewables following the announcement of The Hershey Company’s Noble Solar PPA. in 2021. Edison Energy, a global sustainability and energy consultancy, worked with The Hershey Company on its environmental initiatives and Copperhead’s selection of National Grid Renewables.
Copperhead is expected to produce an estimated direct economic impact of $25 million in its first 25 years of operation, including the generation of new tax revenue, on-site operating jobs and the creation of an estimated charitable fund at $600,000.
“Together with customers like The Hershey Company, National Grid Renewables is helping to build a clean, equitable and affordable energy future,” said Blake Nixon, president of National Grid Renewables. “Projects like Copperhead promote sustainability and economic vitality globally and locally. Communities like those in Falls County, Texas can anticipate economic benefits for years to come from hosting renewable energy projects. With Copperhead, our commitment to the State of Texas and the ERCOT market remains strong, and we look forward to bringing this project into commercial operation for the benefit of local residents and the entire state.
As announced in its recently released ESG (environmental, social and governance) report, Hershey is on track to meet its greenhouse gas emissions targets, having reported a 48% reduction in Scope 1 emissions. and 2 compared to a 2018 baseline and an 18% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. Scope 3. The company’s investment in three solar farm projects, including two through National Grid Renewables, plays a significant role in the progress made so far.
Copperhead will use next-generation 6-series thin-film solar modules developed and produced by First Solar, a 100 MWh Fluence Gridstack battery energy storage system by Fluence Energy, and is built by TIC—The Industrial Company, a subsidiary of Kiewit.
“We are honored to work alongside National Grid Renewables and The Hershey Company on their second utility-scale solar energy storage project in the ERCOT market,” said John Zahurancik, senior vice president and president of the Americas at Fluent. “This project is a great example of how solar and storage deployments provide significant environmental benefits and reliable power, as well as local economic labor force development. Projects like this allow us to influence global sustainability and have a tangible impact on the local community.
National Grid Renewables News Article