PERMIAN ENERGY CENTER PROJECT
Location: Andrews County, Texas
Project Timeline: The project began in November 2019 and is expected to be completed in mid-2021.
Number of Photovoltaic Panels: 1.3 million
Energy Production: 460MW AC solar PV plus storage (420MW AC from solar and 40MW AC storage capacity with one hour of capacity)
Companies Performing Work: JA Solar; panels supplied by Jinko Solar
Owner: Ørsted
Photovoltaic panels will soon generate energy alongside oil and gas installations on a 3,600-acre site in Western Texas. The Permian Energy Center will feature a blend of solar and storage.
Following an investment decision from its board of directors in November 2019, Ørsted commenced construction on the Permian Energy Center, which will have about 400 workers at the peak of the project. Permian is the first utility-scale solar farm for Denmark-based Ørsted, which operates about 1.6 GW of wind assets for its U.S. onshore business.
“We’re very excited to be moving ahead with the Permian Energy Center and to be adding solar plus storage to our rapidly growing portfolio of U.S. onshore assets,” says Ørsted CEO Henrik Poulsen. “With the completion of the project, Ørsted will have a U.S. portfolio of operating assets that spans the full spectrum of offshore and onshore renewable energy technologies, which we believe is important as we look to offer our customers the most competitive and diverse clean energy solutions into the future.”
The projected daily output capacity of the project is 420MW AC, which is enough to power 100,000 homes. The solar facility is combined with a 40MW battery, allowing it to store power for one hour so it can meet customers’ need for power. Once online, the farm will use software to enhance grid flexibility and balance energy generation, according to Ørsted.
