Soltage and Basalt Enter Oregon Market with 40MW Solar Portfolio for Portland General Electric
First 10 MW energized, remaining on track to go live before summer
Feb 04, 2020, 08:15 ET
JERSEY CITY, N.J., Feb. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Soltage LLC, a leading independent power producer, and Basalt managed funds announce their entrance into the Oregon power market with a 40 megawatt (MW AC) solar portfolio. The first 10 MW solar facility was energized in December and the remaining 30 MW are under construction and planned to be placed in service prior to Summer 2020. The portfolio was acquired from NewSun Energy, a leading Pacific Northwest energy developer.
This acquisition anchors a $100 Million portfolio investment in the Oregon market, and is being funded via Helios, an investment vehicle set up by Soltage and Basalt to own and operate solar power projects across the U.S. Hyperion, the first vehicle, was fully deployed in 2019 and currently owns and operates 125 MW across 35 solar facilities.
The first asset energized in this portfolio is a 10 MW solar facility located in Harney County, Oregon. This facility will transmit electricity via Bonneville Power Administration's (BPA) transmission system to Portland General Electric (PGE). PGE is purchasing the power under a 16-year power purchase agreement, which will help the utility provide renewable power to its nearly one million customers.
"We are pleased to announce our entrance into the growing Oregon solar market to supply PGE's customers with clean, locally-produced renewable energy," said Jesse Grossman, Soltage Co-Founder and CEO. "This investment fits our mission of originating and investing in best-in-class renewable investment opportunities, and deploying more distributed utility-scale solar on the grid."
The portfolio also includes projects in development in both Harney and Lake County, Oregon. These projects have directed significant investment into these counties and have leveraged local and regional contractors, employees and consultants for development and construction. These projects are expected to continue to provide substantial county tax revenues to rural Central and Eastern Oregon over the lifespan of the assets.
"We are excited to grow Basalt's renewable asset portfolio while we continue to expand the partnership with Soltage," said Rob Gregor, Managing Partner of Basalt Infrastructure Partners LLP, exclusive investment advisor to Basalt. "This investment continues Helios' mandate to invest in renewable energy across the US."
"NewSun Energy appreciates the help of all of the people, companies, communities and state agencies that have supported efforts to bring new solar on-line, particularly BPA's team, and the counties of central and eastern Oregon," said Jake Stephens, CEO and Founder of NewSun Energy. "NewSun is proud to help Soltage and Basalt enter this important regional market and work with BPA to establish the first direct-connected solar facility on its system"
The projects contribute to the proliferation of solar in Oregon. The state's Renewable Portfolio Standard requires that 50 percent of electricity used in the state come from renewable energy sources by 2040 and total solar installations in Oregon are projected to grow by nearly 60 percent over the next 5 years.
About Soltage
Soltage is a leader in the development, financing, and operation of distributed utility-scale solar assets for commercial, industrial and municipal customers across the United States. Soltage has developed more than 100 solar energy projects with more than 300 MW total distributed generating capacity under construction and management. Soltage is backed by a group of investors including Prudential Capital Group and is headquartered in Jersey City, New Jersey. For more information, visit www.soltage.com
About Basalt
Basalt Infrastructure Partners LLP is the exclusive investment adviser to Basalt managed funds. Basalt I and Basalt II are infrastructure equity investment funds focusing on investments in utilities, power, transport, and communications infrastructure in the United States, Canada and Europe. Helios is an investment by the second flagship Basalt fund, Basalt II. Other Basalt II investments include DB Energy Assets, Detroit Thermal and Black Bear Transmission in the United States, and North Star, Mareccio Energia, Caronte and Tourist, Manx Telecom, and Connect Fibre in Europe. For more information, please visit www.basaltinfra.com.
About NewSun
Tucson, AZ-based NewSun Energy LLC, founded in 2015, is a leading Pacific Northwest (PNW) energy developer, with over a GW of development and construction under way and has its primary PNW office in Bend, OR. Its co-founders Jake Stephens and Andrew McMahan have over 30 years of experience in solar and power infrastructure development, including work on multiple world- and market-leading projects and technologies. NewSun Energy is committed to long-term reinvestment back into the communities and regions where it develops projects, particularly in education, science, the arts, and the environment.
SOURCE Soltage
