This Week in Climate & Clean Energy Wins: Week of 3/24

In private sector news, Qcells announced a $147 million investment to expand solar manufacturing in Georgia, creating the U.S.’ first-ever complete solar supply chain. EVelution Energy will build the first U.S. solar-powered cobalt plant in Arizona, creating over 360 jobs and producing enough to power 470,000 EVS. Duke Energy announced two new solar sites in North Florida that will create 200-300 temporary jobs and Entek plans to invest $1.5 billion in a new manufacturing facility in Indiana, creating 642 jobs by the end of 2027. In South Carolina, solar panel manufacturer Hounen will invest $33 million to build a solar module factory in the state, and Volkswagen said the Inflation Reduction Act’s incentives have made it the best time to build an EV factory in the U.S., driving their decision to invest $2 billion in an EV factory in South Carolina.

According to the International Renewable Energy Agency’s (IRENA) annual report, global renewables capacity grew by almost 10% last year, with 83% of new power capacity from clean power sources. Climate Central’s weather power tool found that wind can now power 46.72 million households – a third of American homes. The New York Times reported that prices of lithium have fallen nearly 20% since January, making EVs more affordable, and a Cornell study found that reshoring solar panels in the next decade could cut greenhouse emissions by 30%, compared to relying on international supplies – a win for the US clean energy market.

This week, the Biden Administration commemorated National Renewable Energy Day by highlighting more than $1 trillion in clean energy and climate funding wins taking effect over the next decade as a result of their climate policies. They also announced over $200 million to modernize and expand hydropower. The Department of Energy announced a new set of reports that seek to strengthen public and private sector commercialization and development of clean energy technology. Finally, the DOE also shared plans for $590 million in funding for furthering bioenergy research, with four research centers receiving a total $110 million for FY 2023. This effort will help reduce emissions, ensure energy security, and create jobs in rural communities.

On the state-level, three utilities in Wisconsin received approval for a $649 million purchase of the state’s largest renewable energy plant, which could host 300 MW of solar and 165 MW of battery storage. 

Private Sector

• Qcells announced a $147 million investment to expand solar manufacturing operations in Georgia. [Electrek, 3/23/23] 
  • The move will create 160 jobs and is the company’s third plant in Georgia. By expanding their solar manufacturing plant in Dalton, Georgia, and building a new solar manufacturing plant in Cartersville, Georgia — this will create the U.S.’ first-ever complete solar supply chain. 
• Hounen will invest $33 million to build a solar module factory in the U.S. [PV Magazine, 3/17/2023]
  • Solar panel manufacturer Hounen will acquire a factory in South Carolina for 1 GW of solar module production, expecting to create 200 new jobs. 
• EVelution Energy will build the first U.S. solar-powered cobalt plant in Arizona. [ThomasNet, 3/20/2023]
  • The facility in Yuma County is expected to create over 360 jobs and produce over 36,000 tons of battery-grade cobalt sulfate annually, enough for 470,000 EVs.
• Duke Energy announced two new solar sites in North Florida [West Orlando News, 3/18/2023]
  • The solar projects will begin construction in Bay and Madison counties, creating 200 to 300 temporary jobs.
• Volkswagen said the Inflation Reduction Act’s incentives made it the best time to build an EV factory in the U.S. [Bloomberg, 3/20/2023]
  • This outlook drove the company’s decision to invest $2 billion for an EV factory in South Carolina. 
• Entek plans to invest $1.5 billion in a new manufacturing facility in Indiana that will create 642 jobs by the end of 2027. [Oregon Public Broadcast, 3/21/2023]
  • The factory will make battery separators for lithium ion battery manufacturers. 
• Foxconn wants to build half of all electric cars made in the world. [Clean Technica, 3/19/2023]
  • They hope to utilize their Mobility in Harmony EV platform to standardize the primary systems needed to manufacture EVS, driving production costs down. 
• LG Energy Solution plans on investing $5.5 billion in an EV battery maker plant in Arizona. [Bloomberg, 3/24/2023] 
  • The plant, which will begin mass production in 2025, will create enough batteries to power 350,000 electric vehicles a year. 
• Ford’s new EV production plan in Texas will build 500,000 EVs a year. [CNBC, 3/24/2023] 
  • Ford and battery supplier SK On plan on investing $5.6 billion in the plant, which is expected to begin production in 2025.
• Invenergy plans on investing $220 million to build a solar panel plant in Ohio. [ENR Midwest, 3/24/2023] 
  • The construction of the plant is scheduled to start this April, with the 1.1 million square foot facility is expected to have 5-GW annual capacity. 

New Reports

• IRENA released their annual report, which found that global renewables capacity grew by nearly 10% last year. [Reuters, 3/21/2023]
  • While 83% of all new power capacity last year was from renewable sources,  solar and wind energy jointly accounted for 90% of all net renewable additions in 2022.
• According to data from Climate Central, wind power can now meet the electricity demands of 46,072 million U.S. households, about a third. [Quartz, 3/17/2023]
  • The data suggests that the ability to generate solar and wind power can grow quickly enough for the US to meet its net-zero emissions targets by 2050.
• Prices of lithium have fallen nearly 20% since January, making EVs more affordable. [New York Times, 3/20/2023]
  • Because lithium is a common ingredient in most EV batteries, the drop in price has made it easier for carmakers to lower prices – this month Tesla lowered the cost of its two most expensive EV models by thousands.
• Cornell researchers found that reshoring solar panels by 2035 could cut greenhouse emissions by 30%. [PV Magazine, 3/20/2023]
  • The  study found that increasing the share of solar PV in the US is expected to further reduce emissions in domestic solar panel fabrications by 33%, compared to relying on international supplies in 2020.
• Repowering older wind farms could increase output and avoid conflict with anti-wind activists. [CleanTechnica, 3/19/2023]
  • Wind turbine retrofits also increase the lifespan of wind farms and don’t require new permits, lowering costs relative to completely new wind developments.

Biden Administration

• The Biden Administration announced over $200 million to modernize and expand hydropower. [Department of Energy Release, 3/22/2023] 
  • The funding will go toward the expansion of hydroelectric power and the advancement of new marine energy technologies. 
  • The DOE is accepting applications for two incentives focused on maintaining and enhancing existing hydroelectric facilities to ensure generators continue to provide clean power, while improving dam safety and reducing environmental impacts. 
• The Biden Administration celebrated National Renewable Energy Day by reviewing more than $1 trillion in clean energy and climate investments poised for the next decade. [DOE, 3/21/2023]
• The DOE announced a new set of reports aimed to strengthen engagement between the public and private sectors to accelerate the commercialization and deployment of clean energy technologies. [DOE, 3/21/2023]
  • The reports concluded that cumulative investments must increase from approximately $40 billion to $300 billion across the hydrogen, nuclear, and long duration energy storage sectors  to realize long-term decarbonization goals. 
• The DOE is investing $590 million in funding to further bioenergy research. [DOE, 3/17/2023]
  • The Department’s research is critical to reducing harmful greenhouse gas emissions, ensuring future energy security, and creating new economic opportunities in rural areas.
  • Initial funding for the four research centers will total $110 million for FY 2023.

State-Level

• Utility regulators approved a $649 million purchase of Wisconsin’s largest renewable energy plant. [WPR, 3/20/2023]
  • The energy center can host 300 MW of solar and 165 MW of battery storage.