Project Names: Noble

Minneapolis, MN (September 20, 2023) – Today, National Grid Renewables announced its pledge to donate $1.1 million to Denton County, Texas school districts and fire departments through its Noble Solar and Storage Project (Noble). Noble is an operating 275 megawatt (MW) solar, 125 megawatt-hour (MWh) storage project located in the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) market, approximately 45 minutes north of Dallas.

Noble will support the Noble Community Fund via annual donations to the Krum Fire Department, Sanger Fire Department, Greenwood-Slidell Volunteer Fire Department, Sanger Independent School District, and Krum Independent School District.

“We are grateful for the collaboration and the opportunity to work with National Grid Renewables, especially given the rising costs of firefighting equipment and training,” said Adam North, Assistant Fire Chief with the Krum Fire Department. “This collaboration will enable us to better serve the community by funding equipment and training to support our mission. We sincerely appreciate their continued support.” 

The first annual distributions from the Noble Community Fund will be delivered to all five organizations this fall. The total donation amount is an estimated $1.1 million, provided through annual charitable funding of $55,000 over a twenty-year period. Funds are distributed through the Communities Foundation of Texas, a statewide nonprofit organization.

“At National Grid Renewables, we believe that we have a responsibility to be good stewards within our project communities, which includes playing a role in the economic vitality of our host communities throughout rural America,” said Blake Nixon, President of National Grid Renewables. “We know that oftentimes, the schools and local emergency services are at the heart of many of these communities, and we’re proud to continue the tradition of investing in their growth and success.”

As part of its community-focused and farmer-founded roots, National Grid Renewables initiates charitable funds for each of its owned and operational large scale renewable energy projects. The purpose of these charitable funds is to engage in, assist, and contribute money to charitable and/or community activities and opportunities within the project communities. The gifts donated by the charitable funds are above and beyond any tax revenue delivered by National Grid Renewables’ projects. To learn more about National Grid Renewables’ commitment to communities, visit www.nationalgridrenewables.com/communities.

Project will contribute millions to local and state economies through tax revenue, landowner income, and jobs

Minneapolis, MN (December 17, 2021) – Today, National Grid Renewables announced the start of commercial operation for its Prairie Wolf Solar Project (Prairie Wolf), located in Coles County, Illinois. The Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) located project boasts 200 megawatts (MW) of clean solar power and is contracted through a Virtual Power Purchase Agreement (VPPA) with Cargill. Prairie Wolf utilizes next-generation Series 6 thin film solar modules developed and produced by First Solar, Inc. (Nasdaq: FSLR) and was constructed by SOLV Energy, formerly known as Swinerton Renewable Energy.

At the peak of construction, Prairie Wolf employed approximately 300 onsite workers. During operation, in addition to new onsite operations and maintenance jobs, Prairie Wolf will benefit local and statewide economies through the production of millions of dollars in new tax revenue and landowner income.

“With the start of operations at the Prairie Wolf Solar site, National Grid Renewables continues to deliver upon its commitment to repower America with clean, economically beneficial renewable energy,” commented David Reamer, Head of Development, US Onshore Renewables for National Grid Renewables. “Thank you to our project customer and partners, as well as the community members, who supported Prairie Wolf and enabled enormous benefit to the local economy and farming community.”

Announced earlier this year, Prairie Wolf will also fund a charitable Education Fund for the local school district. “This development will benefit the county in many ways, including donations through grants to organizations and schools throughout the county,” commented Stan Metzger, Coles County Board Member.

Using the United States’ Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) greenhouse gas equivalencies calculator, Prairie Wolf is projected to offset carbon dioxide emissions by 285,000 metric tons annually during operations.

“Cargill is committed to mitigating the pressing issue of climate change and its impacts on our global food system. One of the ways we are doing this is by financially participating in renewable energy sources, such as the Prairie Wolf Solar Project,” stated Eric Hoegger, Director, Global Renewable Energy for Cargill. “Not only will the Prairie Wolf Solar Project play a vital role in helping us reduce our greenhouse gas emissions while contributing to the renewable economy, we’re also honored to contribute to the positive impact it will have on the Coles county community and surrounding counties where Cargill operates multiple plant locations.”

Announced earlier this month, tax equity financing for Prairie Wolf was provided by Bank of America.