SB Energy Global announced Friday that its Orion I, Orion II and Orion III solar projects – naturally dubbed the “Orion Solar Belt” – are ready for operation. The company celebrated the achievement by cutting the ribbon in the presence of U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, as well as state and local officials. If you have a hard time imagining Texas state officials rubbing shoulders with federal government officials, you’re not alone.
“The Biden-Harris administration has envisioned an industrial strategy for clean energy that is built and installed by American workers and that powers American businesses in proud American communities. This future is being realized through the Orion Solar Belt project in Texas,” said Ms. Granholm. “This project shows how American-made clean energy can power data centers and our future.
Are you curious about American manufacturing? According to Renewables Now, the three new solar farms combined have 1.3 million solar panels made in America by First Solar. Lest you think the Texas grid will get a big boost from the 875 MW of electricity at the nameplate capacity of the three projects, known collectively as the Orion Belt, think again. 85% of that electricity will be used to power Google’s data centers in Ellis County and the company’s cloud services in the Dallas area. Only 15% will be used to power Texas homes and businesses. Google has signed a billion-dollar power purchase agreement with SB Energy Global as part of its goal to become carbon-free by 2030.
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As the solar panels were manufactured domestically, SB Energy Global, a division of Softbank, hopes they will be able to benefit from incentives provided by the Inflation Reduction Act, which passed in 2022 without the vote of a single Republican in Congress. And yet Texas representatives were there to bamboozle voters into thinking that they somehow deserved credit for getting this project done. Interestingly, none of these officials were made uncomfortable by their blatant hypocrisy.
Orion Solar in rural Texas
THE Houston Chronicle reports that the three solar farms are located in the town of Buckholts, which is about 150 miles northwest of Houston and 70 miles north of Austin and has fewer than 400 residents. Orion’s three solar farms are built side by side and provide 875 megawatts of energy. According to data from the Solar Energy Industries Association, such a project in Texas could power about 105,000 homes (except it will power Google’s facilities instead).
“Google data centers are home to some of the world’s most popular services and are a major economic engine for 21st century businesses. Our goal is to ensure that the services and products people and customers use every day are powered by reliable, carbon-free energy around the clock,” said Ben Sloss, Google vice president of Services. 24×7 and capacity. “We are thrilled that SB Energy’s Orion Solar Belt is coming online and will help build a stronger future for communities and Google in Texas.
Google isn’t the only tech company investing deeper into Texas, and the opening of the Orion Solar Belt is just one more sign that Texas has gotten ahead of the curve when it comes to power production. solar energy, indicates the Chronicle in the article dedicated to the commissioning of the project. SB Energy estimates that the Orion Solar Belt will employ 3,000 people for component manufacturing and the construction phase. It projects the three projects will contribute $100 million to local services over their lifetime.
1.3 million solar panels
In a press release, the company said the Orion Solar Belt includes more than 1.3 million solar modules manufactured by First Solar at its Perrysburg, Ohio, facility. Additionally, the 22,800 tons of structural steel used for the entire project came from Gerdau Steel Mills in Midlothian, Texas, and Cartersville, Georgia. Additionally, the Orion Solar Belt includes Nextracker smart solar trackers, with the majority of components manufactured domestically. SB Energy selected Blattner to provide engineering, procurement and construction services for the project. SB Energy CEO Rich Hossfeld said, “When it comes to creating American jobs and providing power to the world’s largest energy consumers, SB Energy is committed to creating the roadmap.” We are grateful for the support of Secretary of State Jennifer Granholm and many federal, state, and local leaders, as well as Google. We hope the Orion Solar Belt will serve as a catalyst for increased investment in a robust, made-in-the-USA solar supply chain.
The Texas economy is booming, thanks in large part to the policies promoted by the Biden-Harris administration. The Lone Star State ranks first in the United States in total energy consumption and installed renewable energy capacity. Currently, the state has 70 gigawatts of installed solar, wind, and energy storage capacity, allowing Texans to obtain nearly 30% of their energy from renewable resources.
Manufacturing racking components and systems in America by American workers is exactly what the Inflation Reduction Act was designed to promote. The Orion Solar Belt proves that the IRA is working as intended to create good-paying jobs for American workers and expand access to clean, renewable energy across America.