By Timothy Gardner
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Solar power developers will soon build two big solar projects on U.S. Department of Energy-owned lands in Idaho that are now cleaned up after decades of tests on nuclear reactors for civil and defense, the first projects in a program across five states, the department said on Wednesday.
NorthRenew Energy Partners and Spitfire plan to install solar arrays with battery storage at the DOE’s Idaho National Laboratory (INL). More than 50 reactors were built at the site since the Cold War, including the Navy’s first prototype nuclear propulsion plant. The site also explored ways to manage radioactive waste.
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?
The federal government is the largest U.S. energy consumer and land manager. These are the first renewable projects that are expected across 70,000 acres (28,330 hectares) of DOE land in New Mexico, Nevada, Washington, Idaho and South Carolina.
In the Cleanup to Clean Energy program announced last year, the largest U.S. solar power site and other clean projects could be built on DOE lands.
The plan is expected to help achieve President Joe Biden’s clean electricity goals. The administration wants the U.S. grid to run on clean energy by 2035. Many of the sites already have power customers and work forces, officials have said.
BY THE NUMBERS
The two companies are expected to build 400 megawatts (MW) of solar power across the INL site. That is enough to power about 70,000 homes, according to industry estimates.
NorthRenew proposes to install 300 MW of battery backed solar at INL. Spitfire proposes to install about 100 MW of battery backed solar.
KEY QUOTE
“Working closely with community leaders and private sector partners, we’re cleaning up land once used in our nuclear deterrence programs and deploying the clean energy solutions we need to help save the planet and strengthen our energy independence.”  Â
(Reporting by Timothy Gardner; Editing by Marguerita Choy)
