Do you ever feel like maybe you weren’t hardwired to handle all of the stimuli that the modern world throws at you? It’s hard enough, I think, for humans to manage a social circle larger than a few dozen people, much less properly process constant tragedies a world away.
Last night, for example, my brain was tasked with trying to make sense of an incredible Oilers comeback in game four of the Stanley Cup Finals on one screen and a doomscroll of the Israel-Iran conflict on another. I’m clicking through advertisements for baby clothes (my wife is pregnant with our first child) while some of the biggest clean energy companies file for bankruptcy. The President of the United States is preventing new wind generation because he doesn’t like the way it looks; our elected officials are flirting with wiping as much as 600 gigawatts (GW) of capacity and 300,000 direct manufacturing jobs off the map; one of the greatest musicians who ever lived just hit that big surf shop in the sky.
And I’m just tryin’ to keep my plants alive. And trying to drink water.
1 Gigawatt down, 1 Gigawatt to Go
The past week or so has ushered in an avalanche of project development announcements in the clean tech space, including an update on the largest solar-plus-storage undertaking in the United States.
The AES Corporation has completed construction of the 1,000 megawatt (MW) Bellefield 1 project, under a 15-year contract with Amazon. Bellefield is a two-phase project, each phase including 500 MW of solar and 500 MW of four-hour battery-based energy storage, for a total of 1,000 MW of installed capacity. Once completed, the 2,000 MW Bellefield in Kern County, California, is expected to be the largest solar-plus-storage facility in the country.
To accelerate Bellefield’s implementation and ensure system reliability, AES utilized Maximo, an AI-enabled robotic system developed by AES to assist construction crews, improving the safety, speed, and accuracy of solar module installation.
What they’re saying: “Completing the first 1,000 MW of Bellefield demonstrates how rapidly solar and storage can be deployed to meet the growing energy demand of data centers,” said Andrés Gluski, AES President and Chief Executive Officer. “Our best-in-class track record of delivering renewables projects on time and on budget is deeply valued by our customers and is one of our key competitive advantages.”
Construction on Bellefield 2 is on track to be completed in 2026. AES has contractual arrangements with major global hyperscalers for 10.1 GW, including the 2 GW Bellefield project.
‘Farm-to-Table’ Energy Company Gets First New York Solar Projects
CleanChoice, which bills itself as the first 100% green company in the U.S. to provide ‘farm-to-table’ renewable energy by owning solar generation assets and supplying only clean energy to consumers, has announced the acquisition of two solar projects in New York State. Once completed, the pair will generate a combined 54.2 MW of clean electricity, effectively doubling CleanChoice’s generation capacity in the Mid-Atlantic region.
The 133-acre Dolan project in Washington County and the 117-acre Hawthorn project in Rensselaer County will each have a capacity of 27.1 MW. Construction of both projects is expected to begin this fall, with a planned interconnection date of Q4 2026 with National Grid. The solar farms were selected by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) as part of its latest round of large-scale renewable energy contract awards. They were two of only 26 selected statewide, highlighting their strategic importance to achieving New York’s goal of 70% clean electricity by 2030.
What they’re saying: “With electric grids struggling to keep up with ever-increasing demand, along with growing consumer demand for more sustainable energy options, investing in solar generation is a win-win solution for everyone,” stated Zoë Gamble, President of CleanChoice. “Bringing a solar project to completion is more than just putting clean energy on the grid. It’s important that we are good stewards of the land by incorporating practices that support the local ecosystem and benefit the surrounding community.”
This news comes six months after CleanChoice unveiled its first solar project, located in Franklin County, Pennsylvania; the company is also continuing construction on a second solar project in Kylertown, PA.
Utilities in the Midwestern United States are tackling tough challenges posed by increasingly extreme weather, aging infrastructure, and an ongoing race to integrate renewable energy while maintaining grid reliability. State decarbonization laws add complexity to the process of bringing power generation online, and as utilities transition from fossil fuels to cleaner alternatives, they are simultaneously managing supply chain issues, labor shortages, and new cybersecurity risks. Service providers must modernize their infrastructure to satisfy increasing demand while keeping pricing affordable, which is a tall task for any-sized utility.
A new regional DISTRIBUTECH event, DTECH Midwest, will provide a unique opportunity to dive into the specific issues faced by the power industry in Midwest including tailored content for municipal and cooperative utilities.
Registration is now open – join us from July 14-16, 2025, in Minneapolis, MN! Learn more about what you can expect here.
DESRI Digs into Catclaw
This week, DESRI announced that the Catclaw Solar and Storage project in Buckeye, Arizona, has achieved financial notice to proceed and commenced construction. Catclaw, a 205 MW solar facility with a 1,000 megawatt-hour (MWh) storage system, is expected to power approximately 40,000 homes upon commencement of operations in 2026.
DESRI bought the Catclaw project from Avantus. It has a 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with Arizona Public Service (APS). RES will serve as the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractor, with EPC Services Company as the high-voltage EPC. Tesla will provide battery storage equipment for the project. Invenergy Services will provide ongoing operations and maintenance services once the facility is operational.
What they’re saying: “Given skyrocketing demand for new energy and capacity resources across the state, our team is happy to pair reliable and cost-effective resources with this need. We appreciate Avantus’s work on the project’s development and look forward to an efficient build,” said Bob Schoenherr, Chief Strategy Officer of DESRI.
“Catclaw will help power Arizona’s growing energy needs with clean, reliable electricity, especially during times of peak demand,” added Cliff Graham, CEO of Avantus. “This milestone is the result of strong collaboration with the City of Buckeye, local partners, DESRI, and APS, and builds on the groundwork Avantus has laid to accelerate clean energy in the region. Together, we’re creating local jobs and strengthening the grid with affordable, resilient energy for Arizona communities.”
DESRI currently owns 131 MW of operating renewable energy assets and 160 MW of solar assets under construction in Arizona, and boasts about 9 GW capacity across the board. Catclaw is its first project with APS.
IPP Scores $630M in ‘first-of-its-kind’ Financing for MISO Project
Independent power producer (IPP) Earthrise Energy has closed on a $630 million, first-of-its-kind tax equity and debt financing for its 270 MW Gibson City Solar project within Illinois’ MISO power market, which is expected to achieve commercial operations in 2026. The debt financing is comprised of a construction-to-term loan, a tax equity bridge loan, and a letter of credit facility. BBVA, Intesa Sanpaolo, and Nord/LB served as Coordinating Lead Arrangers and Bookrunners for the debt financing, and a Fortune 500 telecommunications company provided the tax equity commitment.
This novel transaction is distinguished by its shared point of interconnection between the solar project and Earthrise’s existing thermal power plant, using surplus interconnection service. The transaction is also one of the first solar project financings to utilize the Illinois Power Agency’s Indexed Renewable Energy Credit offtake contract.
What they’re saying: “We are proud to have structured the first solar project finance transactions utilizing surplus interconnection service in MISO. This structure presented attributes that required innovative structuring, and together with the coordinating lead arrangers and tax equity investor, we developed solutions which we believe will serve as a blueprint for similar projects going forward,” stated Kenton Harder, VP Capital Markets, Earthrise Energy.
Earthrise’s current project pipeline represents more than 1.4 GWs of new clean energy capacity expected to be brought online by the end of 2028, with future project financings likely to adopt a similar structure.
Origis Energy Finances a Pair of Major Projects
Origis Energy has closed on the Wheatland solar project with MUFG via a portfolio financing package that supports a pair of projects.
Wheatland Solar, located in Knox County, Indiana, will provide 150 MW of solar capacity and is scheduled for completion in the first half of 2026. It is supported by a PPA with CenterPoint Energy. The Optimist Solar + Storage project in Clay County, Mississippi, will deliver 200 MW of solar power and 50 MW of four-hour battery energy storage. This project is expected to be operational by early 2026 and is supported by a PPA with the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). The Optimist portion of the MUFG deal closed in late 2024. Origis Energy serves as the developer, owner, and operator for both projects.
What they’re saying: “We continue to see unprecedented growth in demand for electricity and look forward to completing this project for CenterPoint and its customers,” noted Vikas Anand, Chief Executive Officer of Origis Energy.
rPlus Energies Closes on Half a Billion Bucks for its Landmark Project
Luigi Resta is helping himself to a second plate of pasta this weekend!
rPlus Energies has closed on a tax equity financing commitment exceeding $500 million with RBC Community Investments and a syndicate of investors to support Green River Energy Center (GREC), a landmark solar-plus-storage project in Emery County, Utah. The financing will utilize the federal Investment Tax Credit (ITC).
The GREC includes 400 MW of solar PV and 400 MW/1,600 MWh of battery storage, with a long-term power purchase agreement in place with PacifiCorp. It is among the largest solar-plus-storage projects currently under construction in the United States and is expected to generate more than $55 million in direct economic benefits for Emery County over the next 20 years. It has already created hundreds of construction jobs. The project is expected to be completed in 2026.
What they’re saying: “Green River Energy Center is an investment in the long-term resilience of a region that has powered the American West for generations,” said Luigi Resta, President and CEO of rPlus Energies. “This project honors Emery County’s legacy as an energy-producing region while helping to secure its future. By utilizing federal tools, such as the investment tax credit, we ensure that rural communities continue to lead our country’s energy production and dominance.”
This milestone follows the successful close of over $1 billion in construction debt financing for the project announced last year.
Soltage Signs the Dotted Line on Financing Facility
Last but certainly not least, Soltage has closed on a $260 million construction and term debt financing facility. The funds will support the near-term deployment of solar and storage projects from the company’s more than 2 GW development pipeline.
The innovative financing structure includes a revolving construction loan, tax equity bridge loan, and term loan facility, offering Soltage flexible capital to continue developing, building, and operating its growing portfolio of clean energy infrastructure assets. The facility was structured and led by National Bank of Canada, alongside First Citizens Bank, with BankUnited, Cadence Bank, and Siemens Financial Services joining as joint arrangers. Legal counsel was provided by Foley Hoag LLP on behalf of Soltage, and Norton Rose Fulbright LLP represented the lending syndicate.
What they’re saying: “This financing marks Soltage’s continued deployment of innovative financial structures that enable efficient capital investment in domestic energy infrastructure,” said Jesse Grossman, CEO of Soltage. “With the support of National Bank of Canada, First Citizens Bank, and our valued financial partners, this facility will enable construction of the next 250 megawatts of distributed solar and storage projects across our national portfolio.”
