AES Announces Addition of 3.5 GW of Renewables
Virginia-based AES Corp. said the company added 3.5 GW of new renewable energy generation capacity to its global portfolio in 2023, an amount nearly double that built in the previous year.
The projects, including solar power, wind power, and energy storage, were built in several locations worldwide, including the U.S., and will serve a variety of industries, the company said on Jan. 18.
“In 2023, AES completed the construction of 3.5 GW of new renewables. This construction milestone represents a new record and a growth rate of nearly 100% over 2022. Including these newly added projects, AES’ portfolio of renewables now reaches 18.4 GW,” said Andrés Gluski, AES president and CEO.
The company on Thursday said the 3.5 GW of new global capacity includes 1.6 GW of solar, 1.3 GW of wind, and 0.6 GW of energy storage.
Notable Projects
AES said some of the more notable projects built in the U.S. last year include Great Cove Solar, a 220-MW installation comprised of two solar facilities in Franklin and Fulton counties in Pennsylvania. The project is being commissioned in multiple phases.
The company said Great Cove is the largest solar project in Pennsylvania, and electricity produced from the sites will serve the University of Pennsylvania through a power purchase agreement. AES said the facilities will generate enough energy to power 70% of the total electricity demand of Penn’s academic campuses, and also the University of Pennsylvania Health System. It supports the university’s goal of achieving a 100% carbon-neutral campus by 2042.
Great Cove also will host a research study onsite in partnership with Penn’s Environmental Innovations Initiative, a program designed to offer insight into the best practices for soil health management at sites with operational solar projects.
Arizona Ranch
Chevelon Butte Wind is a 238-MW wind project in Arizona, and represents the first phase of what will be a 454-MW wind farm in Coconino and Navajo counties. The second phase is expected to come online later this year, at which point Chevelon Butte will be Arizona’s largest wind farm, according to AES.
The project is sited on the Chevelon Butte Ranch, one of the oldest working cattle ranches in Arizona. The wind farm was built to be compatible with existing livestock ranching and hunting on the adjacent land, which enables the O’Haco family to continue working the ranch along with the Arizona State Land Department. The family has raised livestock on the site from more than a century.
AES on Thursday highlighted another Arizona facility, the McFarland A Solar-plus-Storage project, a 200-MW solar and 100-MW energy storage site in Yuma County. It is one of the largest solar-plus-storage projects in the state. The company said the “facility represents the next generation of sustainable energy infrastructure powering a more secure and reliable electric grid.”
Oak Ridge Solar is a 200-MW solar facility in Morehouse Parish, Louisiana, and AES said the site is the largest operating solar project in the state. AES said the installation “will provide low-cost electricity while reducing carbon emissions and generating economic benefits for the local Morehouse Parish community. This project not only represents a high-value economic investment in the region but also supports Louisiana solar energy growth.”
—Darrell Proctor is a senior associate editor for POWER (@POWERmagazine).