Oil and gas pipeline firm builds first Texas solar farm | Projects Weekly
Enbridge continues to invest in solar, as the company known for its oil and gas pipeline business has cut the ribbon on a PV project in Corpus Christi, Texas. Plus, Projects Weekly highlights Avangrid starting commercial operations at its 202 MW Powell Creek Solar project in Ohio; BLUETTI’s partnership with Footprint Project to bring essential power lifelines to storm-hit communities; NextEra’s Amite Solar Energy Center in Louisiana; and the completion of a 36-acre solar project for First Energy subsidiaries Mon Power and Potomac Edison in West Virginia. Learn more in the paragraphs below.
On June 4, Enbridge sponsored a ribbon cutting ceremony in Jim Wells County, to mark a milestone event: The company’s Orange Grove Solar project is now delivering clean energy to the Texas grid. Telecom giant AT&T has signed a long-term virtual power purchase agreement for the output of the project.
“Enbridge is proud to operate a wide range of critical energy infrastructure across the Gulf Coast area including liquids pipelines and export facilities, natural gas pipelines and storage, as well as wind and now solar power,” said Matthew Akman, Enbridge’s executive VP of corporate strategy and president of the company’s power business.
Cool factor: Orange Grove is Enbridge’s first solar facility in the Lone Star State, and it will provide up to 130 MW of electricity to the local grid. In addition to Orange Grove, Enbridge has a second, solar facility under construction southeast of Abilene, in Callahan County, Texas, which is more than six times the size of the Orange Grove facility. The 815 MW Sequoia Solar project is set to become one of North America’s largest solar installations. In total, the company has invested in 13 solar projects in the United States and Canada, totaling 1,356 MW of capacity.
Avangrid starts commercial operations at Powell Creek Solar project in Ohio
Avangrid Inc. has achieved commercial operations at its Powell Creek Solar project in Putnam County, Ohio. The 202 MWdc (150 MWac) project, the company’s second power facility in Ohio, is now generating enough electricity to power the equivalent of 30,000 homes annually.
“Avangrid has achieved commercial operations at Powell Creek at a pivotal moment for the local community in Ohio, where rapidly growing energy demand requires new sources of power generation,” said Pedro Azagra, Avangrid CEO. “Putting this critical project into service demonstrates Avangrid’s unique ability to deliver on the energy needs of communities across the country.”
Cool factor: Powell Creek is in Northwest Ohio near the town of Miller City and includes more than 300,000 solar panels. The project supported about 500 jobs during construction, most of them filled with local union workers from the region.
The project is directly supporting the community through new jobs, tax revenue, and landowner payments. Powell Creek is expected to contribute an estimated $31 million to local taxing jurisdictions over its lifetime and about $1.1 million in annual lease payments. In a unique relationship, Miller City is capturing significant revenue from the project, which it will use to construct a new sewer line to encourage new home and business development.
BLUETTI partners with Footprint Project to power storm-hit communities
BLUETTI has formed a strategic partnership with the non-profit organization Footprint Project to provide energy support products to tackle the upcoming hurricane and storm season.
Driven by its ESG commitment, BLUETTI is donating $50,024 worth of clean energy products — including the EP500 Pro, Elite 200 V2, AC200L, AC180P and 350W solar panels — to provide power support for disaster-affected communities.
Cool factor: Recognizing the annual threat of grid-disrupting hurricanes like 2024’s Helene, this partnership leverages Footprint Project’s expertise in delivering clean energy since 2018 to swiftly deploy BLUETTI’s tailored solutions to vulnerable areas like the U.S. Gulf Coast, directly aiding emergency response and recovery.
“Storms remind us of our shared need for power, a core value at BLUETTI,” said James Ray, brand representative at BLUETTI. “Our partnership with Footprint Project in delivering clean energy aid is a natural fit, and we hope our power solutions offer real comfort – which is the very essence of our home battery backup.”
Amite Solar Energy Center marks milestone for NextEra Energy in Louisiana
DEMCO and NextEra Energy Resources LLC have energized Amite Solar LLC in Louisiana. This milestone marks the launch of NextEra’s first utility-scale energy facility in the state, delivering reliable energy to local communities. The Amite Solar Energy Center is a subsidiary of NextEra Energy Resources.
“Thanks to this collaboration with NextEra Energy Resources, our members will benefit from dependable, low-cost, fixed-price energy for the next 25 years,” said Randy Pierce, CEO and general manager at DEMCO. “It’s a smart, long-term partnership that reflects our shared commitment to delivering lasting value to the communities we serve.”
Cool factor: Located in Tangipahoa Parish, the Amite Solar Energy Center has the capacity to generate up to 100 MW of energy, powering Louisiana homes and businesses. The energy center achieved commercial operations in March 2025 and is contributing dependable electricity to Louisiana’s power grid.
“This is a monumental moment for our team, and we are proud to work with DEMCO to bring low-cost solar energy to their co-op members,” said Stuart McCurdy, VP of development at NextEra Energy Resources. “We’re thrilled to deliver homegrown energy that supports local jobs and economic development, exemplifying the power of collaboration between energy infrastructure developers, the community and local utilities in meeting the unprecedented energy demand.”
Construction lasted 15 months and generated a significant economic boost to Tangipahoa Parish and the state, by creating 200 construction jobs and stimulating the purchase of regional goods and services from local vendors.
First Energy subsidiaries complete 36-acre solar project in West Virginia
Mon Power and Potomac Edison, subsidiaries of FirstEnergy Corp., have completed their third utility-scale solar site in West Virginia. More than 17,000 solar panels are now producing up to 5.75 MW of renewable power at the Marlowe site in Berkeley County.
The new solar facility is situated on approximately 36 acres of company-owned property along Interstate 81 and the Potomac River. The site was previously an ash landfill for the former R. Paul Smith Power Station. Mon Power and Potomac Edison used 54 local union workers for construction at the site. Additionally, the solar panels, racking system steel and supporting electrical equipment were made in the United States.
“Our solar projects create construction jobs, support U.S. manufacturing and help us accommodate increased demand for electricity,” said Dan Rossero, VP of FirstEnergy’s West Virginia Generation. “We are committed to ensuring that our customers have the right mix and amount of generation to support their everyday needs, and our solar facilities are a growing part of that.”
Cool factor: Mon Power and Potomac Edison plan to develop a total of five solar projects that will comprise 50 MW of solar generation. The companies completed their first solar project at Fort Martin Power Station (18.9 MW) in early 2024, and their Rivesville solar site (5.5 MW) came online last fall. In total, the companies now have 30 MW of solar capacity.
Combined, the five projects will create more than 87,000 solar renewable energy credits (SRECs) available for purchase by customers who support renewable energy in West Virginia. Mon Power serves about 395,000 customers in 34 West Virginia counties. Potomac Edison serves about 285,000 customers in seven counties in Maryland and 155,000 customers in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia.
