full steam ahead

Houston-based energy transition company to build innovative power, steam facility in Illinois

A Houston-based energy transition project developer announced its $1 billion project to provide cleaner energy to an Illinois-based agribusiness company. Photo via warwickcs.com

Broadwing Energy, a subsidiary of Houston-based energy transition company Warwick Carbon Solutions, is building a more than $1 billion natural gas facility in Illinois that’ll supply power for agribusiness giant Archer Daniels Midland and simultaneously reduce carbon emissions.

Construction is expected to start in 2025 and wrap up in 2028.

The natural gas plant will provide both electricity and steam for ADM’s processing operations in Decatur, Illinois, which consist of three facilities across more than 1,100 acres. CO2 “scrubbing” technology installed at the power plant will capture carbon emissions, which will then be kept in ADM carbon storage wells.

ADM’s products include citric acid, lactic acid, xanthan gum, dextrose, sorbitol, corn syrup, and ethanol.

Warwick says the power plant holds the potential to permanently remove more than two million tons of CO2 emissions per year. In addition, it will create about 1,000 construction jobs and two dozen permanent jobs.

Broadwing says the plant will net roughly 350 megawatts of lower-emission power to help decarbonize the industrial, transportation, and electricity sectors. ADM will buy about 95 megawatts of that power for its Decatur operations.

“This project will serve as a model for others to follow as we work toward decarbonizing our economy and the world,” says Jonathan Wiens, CEO of Warwick.

The Decatur project was announced in 2021.

Warwick Carbon Solutions’ equity backer is London-based investment firm Warwick Capital Partners, which opened a Houston office last year. Founded in 2010, Warwick Capital has about $2.5 billion in assets under management.

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A View From HETI

SunPower is expanding its solar and VPP business in Texas. Photo via Unsplash

Utah-based solar technology and battery storage company SunPower has announced its expansion into Texas by acquiring “prime project assets” from Houston installer Green Light Solar.

As part of the deal, Green Light Solar CEO James Garrett will lead SunPower’s U.S. installation group. Garrett is based in the Houston area, according to LinkedIn.

Green Light Solar focuses on residential and commercial solar installations, battery backups and whole-home generators throughout Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Colorado. As of press time, SunPower had not disclosed which specific projects or assets were included in the acquisition.

In addition to the Green Light acquisition, SunPower also announced its second strategic partnership with Fort Worth-based SOLRITE Energy, which provides solar and battery project financing and virtual power plant capabilities.

Through the partnership, SunPower plans to expand its residential solar and battery storage business and grow its virtual power plant (VPP) network in Texas.

A virtual power plant is a network of connected energy sources that can supply electricity to the grid when demand is high. The network draws on energy stored in individual residential and commercial battery systems. VPPs can also help participating homeowners generate additional revenue by selling their stored power.

“SOLRITE not only sources projects to us but also provides project funding for innovative systems with large batteries connected to a VPP, enabling power sales into the open market,” T. J. Rodgers, SunPower CEO, said in a news release. “That VPP capability provides an extra source of income that SOLRITE shares with homeowners and EPCs, making SOLRITE an attractive partner.”

SunPower will bring its sales, installation and lifetime warranty support to the partnership, while SOLRITE will provide its virtual power plant platform and solar financing capabilities, according to the release.

"Building our VPP business is a key part of SunPower’s growth strategy going forward,” Kapil Rai, EVP of Direct at SunPower, added in the release. “Our partnership with SOLRITE gives us a path to bring together customer acquisition, solar, storage deployment, and financing to develop this business in Texas and beyond.”

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