National Grid Renewables has started construction on its Copperhead Solar & Storage Project, a 150 MW solar and 100 MWh storage project in Falls County, Texas. National Grid Renewables has also announced a 140 MW power purchase agreement (PPA) with The Hershey Co. for Copperhead, marking the second PPA between The Hershey Co. and National Grid Renewables after The Hershey Company’s Noble solar PPA was announced in 2021. Edison Energy, a global sustainability and energy advisory firm, worked with The Hershey Company on its environmental initiatives and selection of National Grid Renewables’ Copperhead.
“Together with customers like The Hershey Co., National Grid Renewables is helping to build a clean, fair and affordable energy future,” states Blake Nixon, president of National Grid Renewables. “Projects like Copperhead promote sustainability and economic vitality at both global and local levels. Communities like those in the Falls County, Texas area can anticipate economic benefits for years to come as a result of welcoming 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 to commercial operation to benefit local and statewide residents.”
“We have ambitious goals to reduce Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by more than 50 percent and Scope 3 emissions by 25 percent by 2030 as part of our science-based targets,” says Mark Kline, director of commodities and specialty procurement at The Hershey Co. “We’re making great progress toward achieving those goals thanks to projects like Copperhead and the great work of National Grid Renewables.”
Copperhead will utilize next-generation Series 6 thin film solar modules developed and produced by First Solar Inc., a 100 MWh Fluence Gridstack battery energy storage system by Fluence Energy Inc., and is being constructed by TIC–The Industrial Co., a subsidiary of Kiewit and an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor.
“As America’s solar company, we are proud that Copperhead will be powered by our responsibly produced, ultra-low carbon photovoltaic solar technology, designed and developed here in the United States,” comments Darin Green, senior director of business development at First Solar. “Our thin film solar technology has the lowest carbon and water footprint of any commercially available PV technology today, while our integrated manufacturing process and tightly controlled supply chain allow for industry-leading transparency and traceability.”
“We are honored to work alongside National Grid Renewables and The Hershey Co. on their second utility-scale solar plus energy storage project in the ERCOT market,” said John Zahurancik, SVP and president of Americas at Fluence. “This project is a great example of how solar plus storage deployments deliver impactful environmental benefits and reliable energy, along with local economic workforce development. Projects like this position us to influence global sustainability and provide tangible local community impact.”
“We are proud to be a part of the Copperhead Solar & Storage Project and ready to get to work in designing and building the system,” says Mike Gammill, vice president of solar operations for TIC. “National Grid Renewables is making tremendous strides in advancing solar power generation, bringing a clean, reliable energy source to Falls County, Texas that will have a positive lasting impact on the community.”