Commercial Operation Commences at National Grid

National Grid Renewables announced today that its Noble Solar and Storage Project (Noble) in Denton County, Texas, has begun operating commercially. In the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) market, Noble is a 275 megawatt (MW) solar and 125 megawatt-hour (MWh) energy storage project that started building last year.

According to Blake Nixon, president of National Grid Renewables, “With the commencement of operation at our Noble project, National Grid Renewables brings online our first utility-scale energy storage project, as well as our largest solar energy project to date.” Noble is a concrete illustration of how National Grid Renewables’ dedication to upholding ethical standards affects local and international communities in both an economic and environmental sense.

In the first 20 years of operation, Noble is anticipated to generate $26 million in new tax income and prevent 450,000 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions each year. When construction was at its busiest, Noble employed 600 workers, and today it has the equivalent of 6 full-time operations and maintenance employees. Last year, the project’s clients and partners hosted a community event to honour the estimated economic and environmental impacts.

The Hershey Company has contracted for a 50 MW solar PPA for Noble, and The Home Depot and NRG Energy, Inc. have each signed their own 100 MW solar Power Purchase Agreements (PPA).

National Grid

The Home Depot’s Chief Sustainability Officer, Ron Jarvis, remarked, “The Home Depot is proud of our efforts to minimize our carbon footprints.” As we move toward our commitment to produce or procure 100% renewable electricity equivalent to the demand for all Home Depot sites by 2030, this agreement will increase our capacity for renewable energy.

Robert Gaudette, Executive Vice President of NRG Business, stated that “power plays a vital part in decarbonizing our economy. We are happy to join along with other corporate leaders as we bring new renewable developments online.” “As we all move toward a more sustainable and resilient future, we look forward to offering additional energy solutions to our customers and our communities.”

Leigh Horner, Vice President of Global Sustainability and Corporate Communications at The Hershey Company, noted that this and comparable solar projects “make a major contribution toward attaining our lofty science-based ambitions.” “We’re on target to reduce Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by more than 50% and Scope 3 emissions by 25% by 2030 with continuing investment in solar energy and other efforts.”

Next-generation Series 6 thin film solar modules created and manufactured by First Solar, Inc. are used by Noble (Nasdaq: FSLR). First Solar and National Grid Renewables recently announced a 2 GW supply of solar modules that will be delivered in 2024–2025.