In Texas, favorable economics, regulatory support, and a streamlined permitting process are driving growth in solar energy development; analysts estimate that installed capacity will reach 1.6 gigawatts (GW) of solar across the state by 2022. Once complete, Grizzly Ridge, a utility-scale solar field located outside Fort Worth, Texas, will provide 137.7 MW dc/100 MW ac to the ERCOT North Zone, a growing economy and power market.
“Grizzly Ridge is one of the first utility-scale solar projects that Diode developed from the ground up, marking a significant milestone for the company when it comes to pure greenfield development projects,” said Brad Hardin, President of Diode. “In Texas, we are seeing more resilient infrastructure development on the horizon to support large-scale energy generation from both renewable and non-renewable sources.”
Diode partnered with RKB — a greenfield, utility-scale solar development company — to assist with co-development activities of the project, from origination to sale.
“Diode Ventures has been an excellent partner in the Grizzly Ridge Solar project,” said Robert Schleider, President of RKB. “We are excited to see this project enter the build phase of its life cycle and believe it is a great project for Hamilton County and the state of Texas.”
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The project is construction-ready, with an executed interconnection agreement with Brazos Electric Cooperative, the transmission service provider. The area will also undergo an upgrade from 69 kilovolts (kV) to 138 kV, reflecting this growth in demand. Diode is currently in discussions to add an on-site battery energy storage system to the project.
“The Grizzly Ridge Solar Project is an exciting development in a region of the country that continues to see significant demand growth,” said Paul Ksiazek, Senior Project Director with Diode. “The environmental, economic, and local tax benefits are noteworthy, and the project will benefit the ERCOT energy portfolio.”
