EDF Renewables North America and Enbridge Inc, a leading North American energy infrastructure company (TSX: ENB) (NYSE: ENB), celebrated today with more than 100 guests, the completion and start of commercial operation of the 150 MWac Fox Squirrel Solar Phase 1. When all three phases are completed at the end of 2024, the 577 MWac project will be one of the largest utility-scale solar developments east of the Mississippi River.
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Fox Squirrel Solar in Madison County, Ohio. (Photo by Matt Reese)
“The development and operation of Phase 1 marks a significant milestone in our journey to drive Ohio’s renewable energy future,” said Kate O’Hair, Senior Vice President for Onshore Development with EDF Renewables North America. “With Fox Squirrel Solar Phase 1 now supplying renewable power to the PJM grid, this project not only represents a substantial financial commitment but also highlights the remarkable collaboration between our team, the county, and the local community. We take great pride in this collective effort.”
Developed by EDF Renewables and owned in partnership with Enbridge, Fox Squirrel Solar will help meet central Ohio’s increasing demand for power, which is expected to double in the decade leading up to 2028.
During the event, Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) announced it has entered into power purchase agreements for the full generation capacity, which will help contribute to Amazon’s commitment to match all of the electricity used by its operations with 100% renewable energy by 2030. The company is currently on a path to meet its goal by 2025. As renewable energy commitments are increasingly embraced by corporations, solar projects like Fox Squirrel will help Ohio realize its goal of continuing to attract business and increasing economic growth in the state.
“Amazon is the world’s largest corporate purchaser of renewable energy. As part of that journey, we’re proud to enable new solar and wind projects in Ohio that will not only help power our operations, but also provide carbon-free energy to the local communities where our customers, vendors, and employees live and work,” said Kevin Miller, Vice President of Global Data Centers at AWS. “Projects like Fox Squirrel Solar are also helping create jobs, support local businesses, and boost the local tax base, which are all part of Amazon’s commitment to become a more sustainable company.”
“Fox Squirrel Solar is a key part of Enbridge’s commitment to the energy transition, and we are proud to celebrate the grand opening of the project, which expands our longstanding partnership with EDF Renewables in Canada and Europe,” said Tom Carbone, Vice President, Power Business Development, Enbridge. “For more than 70 years, Enbridge has been operating in Ohio and we’re excited about the additional construction, long-term operations and maintenance jobs this project will provide, along with additional local economic benefits. We are also particularly pleased the power generated at Fox Squirrel Solar will support Amazon’s efforts to reach its net-zero targets.”
“Fox Squirrel Solar is a prime example of how we can support Ohio's business energy demands and stabilize our electric energy infrastructure,” said Ohio Chamber President & CEO Steve Stivers. “We are now expecting one of our major utilities to double their need for energy in the next five years, and the only way to keep up with this growth is to actively develop and bring energy projects to market. The Ohio Chamber of Commerce supports an ‘all-of-the-above’ approach to energy development, and we appreciate projects like Fox Squirrel Solar that help to balance our ever-increasing energy demands.”
Nearly 400 men and women in the skilled trades are currently working on the project. During peak construction of Phase 1 that number soared to 650 workers. Blattner is the project’s engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractor.
“At Blattner, we’re excited about this project and our ongoing partnership with EDF Renewables,” said Chris Hodrick, Senior Vice President, General Manager – Solar and Storage, Blattner. “Working together with EDF Renewables, local policymakers and construction partners, we’ve made a difference for communities in Madison County, an important part of our work to lead America to a clean energy future.”
Pat Hook, Business Manager, IBEW Local 683,said, “IBEW Local 683 has the skilled men and women to build best-in-class solar facilities. We are the trusted workforce of the electrical industry including gas and electric utilities, maintaining power lines, and lighting our homes and businesses. We have worked in coal, natural gas, and nuclear. And now we are electrifying America through solar. Ohio is at the forefront of an energy revolution and Fox Squirrel Solar is a shining example of where we are going.”
“The Ohio Laborers’ District Council is thrilled about our partnership with EDF Renewables and the opportunity to build a solar facility to help power Ohio’s growing energy demands,” commented Ralph Cole, Business Manager/Secretary Treasurer of the Ohio Laborers’ District Council. “Laborers in Ohio are building the infrastructure that sustains our way of life, provides good wages and benefits, and contributes to our community’s bottom line. Fox Squirrel Solar is going to create hundreds of jobs, and power the grid with homegrown energy for years to come.”
Scott Stevenson, IUOE Local 18, added, “Ohio Operating Engineers Local 18 is proud to be supporting the skilled labor of the Fox Squirrel Solar Project. The project will provide much needed clean energy and support our energy infrastructure as we rebuild our electric generation fleet in Ohio. Local 18 is a trusted partner with EDF Renewables and we appreciate the opportunity to work on this important project that will benefit our schools, community, and workforce.”
Comprised of 1.4 million panels and 159 inverters in total, Fox Squirrel Solar represents the largest onshore renewable energy project developed by EDF Renewables North America.
EDF Renewables, with its extensive experience and track record of success, is dedicated to providing solutions that help customers achieve their carbon-reduction goals. With over 35 years of experience and 16 gigawatts of wind, solar, and storage projects developed, EDF Renewables is a leading provider of integrated energy solutions, ranging from grid-scale power to electric vehicle charging.
About EDF Renewables North America
EDF Renewables North America is a market-leading independent power producer and service provider with 35 years of expertise in renewable energy. The Company delivers grid-scale power: wind (onshore and offshore), solar photovoltaic, and storage projects; distribution-scale power: solar and storage; asset optimization: technical, operational, and commercial expertise to maximize performance of generating projects, and onsite solutions, through the Company’s PowerFlex subsidiary, offering a full suite of onsite energy solutions for commercial and industrial customers: solar, storage, EV charging, energy management systems, and microgrids. EDF Renewables’ North American portfolio consists of 16 GW of developed projects and 13 GW under service contracts. In Canada, the Company has 1.9 GW of wind and solar power facilities in service or under construction and 4.2 GW under development. EDF Renewables North America is a subsidiary of EDF Renewables, the dedicated renewable energy affiliate of the EDF Group. For more information visit: www.edf-re.com. Connect with us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.
About Enbridge Inc.
At Enbridge, we safely connect millions of people to the energy they rely on every day, fueling quality of life through our North American natural gas, oil and renewable power networks and our growing European offshore wind portfolio. We're investing in modern energy delivery infrastructure to sustain access to secure, affordable energy and building on more than a century of operating conventional energy infrastructure and two decades of experience in renewable power. We're advancing new technologies including hydrogen, renewable natural gas, carbon capture and storage and are committed to achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, Enbridge's common shares trade under the symbol ENB on the Toronto (TSX) and New York (NYSE) stock exchanges. To learn more, visit us at enbridge.com.
Enbridge Forward-Looking Statement
Forward-looking information, or forward-looking statements, have been included in this news release to provide information about Enbridge Inc. ("Enbridge" or the "Company") and its subsidiaries and affiliates, including management's assessment of Enbridge and its subsidiaries' future plans and operations. This information may not be appropriate for other purposes. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as ''anticipate'', ''expect'', ''project'', ''estimate'', ''forecast'', ''plan'', ''intend'', ''target'', ''believe'', "likely" and similar words suggesting future outcomes or statements regarding an outlook. Forward-looking information or statements in this news release include statements with respect to the Fox Squirrel Solar Project, including the characteristics, benefits and in-service dates thereof.
Although Enbridge believes these forward-looking statements are reasonable based on the information available on the date such statements are made and processes used to prepare the information, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and readers are cautioned against placing undue reliance on forward-looking statements. By their nature, these statements involve a variety of assumptions, known and unknown risks and uncertainties and other factors, which may cause actual results, levels of activity and achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. Assumptions regarding the expected supply of and demand for crude oil, natural gas, natural gas liquids, liquified natural gas and renewable energy, and the prices of these commodities, are material to and underlie all forward-looking statements, as they may impact current and future levels of demand for the Company's services. Similarly, energy transition, including the drivers and pace thereof, exchange rates, inflation and interest rates impact the economies and business environments in which the Company operates and may impact levels of demand for the Company's services and cost of inputs, and are therefore inherent in all forward-looking statements. Due to the interdependencies and correlation of these macroeconomic factors, the impact of any one assumption on a forward-looking statement cannot be determined with certainty. The most relevant assumptions associated with forward-looking statements on announced projects and projects under construction, including estimated in-service dates and the realization of anticipated benefits, include the following: the impact of litigation and government, regulatory and stakeholder actions and approvals on construction and in-service schedules; the availability and price of labour and construction materials; the effects of inflation and foreign exchange rates on labour and material costs; the effects of interest rates on borrowing costs; technology-related matters; and the impact of weather.
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