This article is the second part in a two part series. You can find Part 1 here.
Texas Project (continued)
“We are very pleased that construction of the Mockingbird Solar Center will start next week. The Mockingbird Solar Center will bring new construction and maintenance jobs to the area and new tax revenue for our community and school districts over the life of the project. We look forward to working with Ørsted as a partner in our community for decades to come,” said Maureen Hammond, executive director of the Paris Economic Development Corporation.
With the ability to provide clean energy that powers more than 80,000 homes, Ørsted’s Mockingbird Solar Center is committed to preserving the living environment and delivering profound economic impact to Lamar County. With its breakthrough technology, emissions will be significantly reduced over the life of this project, while creating numerous jobs and generating vital revenues for local businesses.
The independent school districts of Lamar County, North Lamar and Chisum will all benefit greatly from the Mockingbird Solar Center project. It is estimated that more than 200 jobs will be created during construction, as well as permanent jobs for operation and maintenance; a staggering $215 million dollars in economic activity is also expected over its lifetime. Not only that, but it will generate significant tax revenue that can boost local businesses and services.
“We need to provide green energy for this generation while protecting natural habitats for the next. That is why we have prioritized the Smiley-Woodfin Prairie in Texas as our first biodiversity initiative in the United States,” said Daniel Willard, Biodiversity Specialist at Ørsted. “We would like to thank The Nature Conservancy for partnering with us on this conservation effort. Based on both internal expertise and external guidance, we will continue to explore opportunities to protect the prairie and ensure that native plants and pollinators thrive.”
Ørsted has pledged to purchase nearly 1,000 acres of prairie land to donate to the care and preservation of The Nature Conservancy (TNC). This will ensure that this habitat is protected from future developments. To ensure safety, TNC will take ownership before construction of the solar park begins. Work is expected to start in January 2024 and finish sometime later that same year, bringing renewable energy sources closer to becoming a reality for everyone.
“The Nature Conservancy has long recognized the unique significance of the Smiley-Woodfin Prairie,” said TNC State Director Suzanne Scott. “Our goal is to manage the native prairie transferred to TNC to maintain and enhance biological and botanical diversity. In collaboration with Ørsted, we aim to reduce the impact on native vegetation within the remaining site and provide advice on how to manage this land in the future.”
The prairie ecosystem is an incredibly valuable and productive asset that provides several benefits. Floods are prevented, water filtration occurs naturally and carbon sequestration occurs in these wondrous lands. In addition, they act as a habitat for many species such as birds, monarch butterflies, bees and other pollinators.
To assess the project’s land impact, Ørsted initiated a biodiversity study that identified conservation areas with unique plant species and native grassland structures in Texas. To minimize any developmental impact caused by the Ørsted solar farm, TNC guidelines and recommendations will be implemented.
“Negotiations between Ørsted and the private landowner will allow us to achieve an important outcome – the preservation of a remnant of one of the rarest plant communities in Texas,” said TNC Land Protection Strategy Director David Bezanson.
With this ambitious venture, Ørsted plans to dedicate the most pristine portion of the Smiley-Woodfin Prairie to support grassland conservation across America. This is in line with the goal that all renewable energy projects have a net positive impact on biodiversity by 2030. In addition, it has launched several global programs aimed at protecting and replenishing coral beds, observing crustacean habitats, reviving seagrass ecosystems, and reintroducing oysters.
Continued expansion in the United States
These two projects are not the only ones the company is working on in the United States. The company is rapidly expanding with a workforce of approximately 650 and an expanding portfolio of investments in green energy, including offshore wind, onshore wind, solar energy storage technology and e-fuels.
As a pioneer of renewable energy in the United States, Ørsted occupies a commanding position among offshore wind power with more than 5 gigawatts currently under development. A pioneer in this field, it launched the nation’s first-ever offshore wind farm off Block Island and has a total U.S. capacity of 5 gigawatts, spanning from wind to solar energy storage technology and e-fuels.
Taking a bigger role in a project in New Jersey
Orsted has recently announced the signing of an agreement to acquire the Public Service Enterprise Group (PSEG)’s 25% equity interest in Ocean Wind 1, a massive 1,100 MW offshore wind project located 15 miles off New Jersey’s south coast. This acquisition gives Ørsted full ownership of Ocean Wind 1.
As the planning and development of Ocean Wind 1 progresses, New Jersey will benefit from Ørsted’s guarantee of economic energy and economic opportunity throughout the state and region. PSEG will be responsible for the construction of onshore infrastructure to ensure this is achieved.
To secure the future of Ocean Wind 1, Ørsted has committed $695 million to government spending that will create hundreds of jobs and other benefits. This includes building an operations and maintenance facility in Atlantic City, investing more than $100 million in a monopile facility in Paulsboro’s Port, allocating more than $20 million to Pro-NJ Grantor Trust, and establishing headquarters of North American Digital Operations in Newark. In addition, they have participated in a 10-year scholarship program with the New Jersey Institute of Technology that represents an astounding $1.5 million.
“PSEG has been a valuable partner as we have developed Ocean Wind 1 to date and as we have successfully developed our offshore wind vision in the United States. With an established presence in the US, we are confident that we can move the project forward with commercial activities commencing as planned,” said David Hardy, Group EVP and CEO Americas at Ørsted.
We expect the transaction between Ørsted and PSEG to close in the first half of 2023, assuming all necessary conditions are met. Ocean Wind 1’s power delivery is scheduled for late 2024, with full commissioning expected in 2025.
Featured image provided by Ørsted.
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