Wyoming’s largest solar project moves forward – pv magazine usa

May 28, 2024 Anna Fischer

Wyoming took 50th^vol According to the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), only 124 MW was installed in 2023. SEIA expected this number to increase to 43 in the fourth quarter of 2023^R&D site with a capacity of 685 MW, to be installed over the next five years. But the Cowboy Solar Project, with 771 MW of capacity and 268 MW of battery storage, will exceed that in one fell swoop.

The Cowboy project has just been approved by the Wyoming Industrial Facilities Siting Board, and developer Enbridge plans construction in two phases, both of which will begin in March 2025. Commercial operation of the first phase will include a 400 MW solar and energy storage system 136 MW from batteries (BESS). is expected to begin in January 2027. Commercial operation of Phase II with 371 MW of solar and 133 MW of BESS is expected to begin in August 2027. The company estimates that the on-site workforce will average 285 temporary workers per month, with a peak workforce of be approximately 375 employees in April 2025.

For more information about the permitting process for a large renewable energy project in Wyoming, see Get Early Commitment to Avoid the Risks Associated with Siting Industrial Facilities in Wyoming.

The total solar capacity of 771 MW is estimated to be enough to serve 771,000 homes, more than three times the number of homes in Wyoming. Enbridge has not yet announced an agreement to receive the generated electricity.

Enbridge, a Canadian multinational pipeline and energy company based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, intends to build the project approximately 6.5 kilometers south of Cheyenne on 3,845 acres of private land that it will lease.

While the company says it is currently responsible for transporting about 30% of the crude oil produced in North America and 20% of the natural gas consumed in the United States, it says it is committed to reducing emissions by 35% by 2030 and net zero by 2050. It has a portfolio of over 5.2 GW of wind, offshore wind and photovoltaic projects in Canada, the USA, France, Germany and England.

To keep the public informed about the massive project in Wyoming, Enbridge held public meetings in October 2023 to notify neighbors within a 1-mile radius of the project, which were announced in the local Wyoming Tribune Eagle newspaper. The company said it plans to continue to engage in broader public notification and outreach to community stakeholders and tribal communities as the project approaches its 2026 commissioning date. Details of future outreach will be published here.

(Read Opposition hampers solar energy – sometimes)

Industrial Site Board approval is only the first step in this process, as Enbridge must also obtain permits from Laramie County, as well as the necessary environmental and municipal permits required before moving forward with the project.

Once operational, the Cowboy solar project will be only the third utility-scale solar installation in the state. In April, Southern Power, a wholesale energy supplier and subsidiary of Southern Company, announced the launch of the 150-MW South Cheyenne Solar Power Plant, currently the largest in Wyoming. Southern Power acquired the project from Qcells USA, which was the project developer, module manufacturer and engineering services provider (EPC) for the facility. Cheyenne Light, Fuel and Power has signed a 20-year electricity purchase agreement for generated energy that will be used to provide renewable energy to a data center customer.

Before the South Cheyenne facility, the largest was the Sweetwater solar project, a 98-MW installation from SOLV Energy developed by Clener’s Enlight Renewable Energy. The project covers approximately 700 acres and generates enough energy to power the equivalent of 12,000 homes each year.

Solar panel locating tool

With so much pristine land in Wyoming, the Nature Conservancy (TNC) developed the Brightfields Energy Siting Initiative (BESI) specifically for Wyoming. The intention is to target the development of new energy sources in previously disturbed areas, or “brownfields,” so as to diversify the state’s energy mix without compromising the state’s signature wildlife and natural areas.

The BESI tool identifies areas where new energy development will not create significant land use conflicts, allowing for delays and cost overruns. It can locate sensitive areas that should be avoided and also provide information to the specific project site. For example, it may determine whether a potential site would pose a risk of conflict with a known mule deer migration route, a location with a nearby wealth of cultural resources, or a golden eagle nesting area. It can look at habitats and mark them as a site that is better suited for remediation than the site of a new energy facility.

Access the BESI map tool here.