SUSTAINABILITY, ENERGY
Businesswire | April 03, 2023
X-Energy Reactor Company, LLC a leading developer of advanced modular nuclear reactors and fuel technology for clean energy generation, and Kinectrics, a leading global provider of engineering, testing, and certification services, today announced a partnership to design, construct, and operate one of the first commercial-scale Helium Test Facilities in North America. This facility will test and verify performance of critical structures, systems, and components of X-energy’s Xe-100 advanced small modular reactor in helium-based high-temperature and high-pressure environments.
“The Helium Test Facility is an integral part of testing our systems and components in expected operating conditions and verifying their safety, operability, and reliability,” said X-energy CEO, J. Clay Sell. “In addition to helping our advanced nuclear technology enter the marketplace, this facility will bring together nuclear operators, researchers, and engineers to drive additional potential optimizations of our reactors. As a global leader in nuclear component testing, characterization, and certification, Kinectrics is expected to play a pivotal role in the success of X-energy’s products.”
The Xe-100 will use circulating helium gas to transfer heat from the reactor core through a heat exchanger to generate high-temperature steam that can be used to generate electricity or supply heat for industrial processes. The HTF will test Xe-100 components and instruments under operating conditions and without the presence of any nuclear materials. The tests will enable design verification and give Kinectrics and X-energy performance data on key reactor systems, including the Reactivity Control & Shutdown System, Helium Purification System, Helium Circulator System, and Fuel Handling System.
X-energy and Kinectrics expect to announce the HTF site this summer and complete its detailed design in 2023, with the goal of having an operational facility in 2025. Working alongside Kinectrics’s team of life cycle management experts, X-energy engineers expect to refine Xe-100 start-up and commissioning procedures using data collected from HTF testing and to gain critical operating experience to inform future reactor maintenance, operations, and staff training.
“The Helium Test Facility is expected to provide the critical infrastructure and comprehensive testing required to support timely commercialization of the Xe-100,” said Kinectrics CEO, David Harris. “This project is part of a long-term partnership between X-energy and Kinectrics. We expect the Xe-100 will produce electricity and high temperature process steam in a safe and reliable manner, which enables our clean energy future.”
Testing and design validation at the HTF will support X-energy’s recently announced plans to install its first Xe-100 reactors at one of Dow’s U.S. Gulf Coast sites as part of the Company’s participation in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program. The program provides $1.2 billion in cost-shared federal funding for the delivery and demonstration of a first-of-a-kind commercial advanced nuclear plant and TRISO-X fuel fabrication facility.
As previously announced on December 6, 2022, X-energy entered into a definitive business combination agreement with Ares Acquisition Corporation a publicly-traded special purpose acquisition company. Upon the closing of the transaction, which is expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2023, the combined company will be named X-Energy, Inc. and its common equity securities and warrants are expected to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
Completion of the transaction is subject to approval by AAC’s shareholders, the Registration Statement being declared effective by the SEC, and other customary closing conditions.
About X-Energy Reactor Company, LLC
X-Energy Reactor Company, LLC, is a leading developer of advanced small modular nuclear reactors and fuel technology for clean energy generation that is redefining the nuclear energy industry through its development of safer and more efficient advanced small modular nuclear reactors and proprietary fuel to deliver reliable, zero-carbon and affordable energy to people around the world. X-energy’s simplified, modular, and intrinsically safe SMR design expands applications and markets for deployment of nuclear technology and drives enhanced safety, lower cost and faster construction timelines when compared with conventional nuclear.
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ENERGY
prnewswire | May 08, 2023
All Energy Solar, a Saint Paul, Minnesota-based solar panel installer, recently achieved a huge milestone. The company has now installed more than 100 megawatts (MW) of power via solar panel projects for customers, including residential, commercial, agricultural, and municipal. Reaching 100 MW is just one of many goals the company has strived for and attained since its founding in 2009, with even bigger plans yet on the horizon.
"We are thrilled with this accomplishment. That's almost a quarter million panels. It's a big number, but every solar panel installed is one more step towards a better future," said All Energy Solar Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder Michael Allen. "This milestone reminds us how important the work is that we are doing and how we can make an impact on the world."
This victory was a long time coming for the company. Over the last 14 years, All Energy Solar has worked hard to earn a leadership role in the solar industry and establish a reputation among customers for reliability. The 100 MW calculation includes a variety of more than 7,000 solar projects ranging from small home energy systems to massive commercial interstate partnerships across multiple locations. According to EcoWatch, 100 MW of solar can power 16,400 U.S. homes or more. It offsets the equivalent of burning about 79,380 pounds of coal and prevents 172,181 pounds of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere.
In addition to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and increasing available renewable energy, All Energy Solar and the solar industry as a whole are also creating good-paying jobs. All Energy Solar employs more than 250 people at offices and warehouses in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Massachusetts, with residential services extending to Illinois, Iowa and New Hampshire. The company has installed large-scale commercial projects throughout the U.S. and internationally.
"The work of many people and talents went into attaining this number. From marketing and sales helping people learn about solar, project designers that draw the blueprints, permitters, financing, installers putting the panels up – there is a very enthusiastic team pushing this solar energy transformation forward," said Brian Allen, All Energy Solar President and Co-Founder. "Our influence can be seen nationwide, and it's an affirmation that the hard work each person does every day is paying off."
While this is an exciting time for All Energy Solar, there is no end in sight to their achievements. Solar is the energy of the future. As more people and businesses decide they want to help the environment or get more control over their electricity bills, All Energy Solar is ready with a proven process to assist them with reaching their energy goals.
About All Energy Solar
All Energy Solar is a trusted leader in the solar energy industry. We provide clean, green, solar energy solutions for residential, commercial, agricultural, and government clients.
Our team of industry professionals have been focused on providing long term, trusted relationships since 2009. Our industry experience allows us to confidently handle every aspect of the solar process. From initial energy analysis and concepts, engineering and design, construction, and monitoring, our team prides itself on being experts in all aspects in our field.
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ENERGY
prnewswire | May 23, 2023
Pattern Energy Group LP (Pattern Energy), a leader in renewable energy, welcomes the U.S. Department of Interior Bureau of Land Management's Record of Decision on the SunZia Transmission project, which will enable over 3,500 MW of New Mexico wind power from the SunZia Wind project to provide clean, reliable, and affordable electricity across Western states.
Today's Record of Decision by the Bureau of Land Management marks an important milestone for the SunZia Transmission project. After over 16 years of development including rigorous regulatory and environmental review, the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process is complete. Full construction is anticipated to commence in the summer of 2023.
"This is a historic day for the advancement of America's clean energy goals as SunZia receives its major federal routing permit, clearing the way to bring online enough renewable power for 3 million Americans," said Hunter Armistead, CEO of Pattern Energy. "We're proud that SunZia is the culmination of over a decade of collaboration with communities, residents, landowners, environmental groups, wildlife organizations, and federal agencies. The U.S. Bureau of Land Management, specifically the New Mexico State office, did a thorough and professional job managing this robust environmental NEPA process review to a close. SunZia will implement industry-leading measures for environmental mitigation, including emerging technology and long-term conservation research. More than 2,000 workers will now roll up their sleeves and get to work on America's largest clean energy infrastructure project, which we look forward to completing in 2026."
SunZia Transmission is setting a precedent with a gold standard in environmental mitigation efforts developed hand-in-hand with the environmental community. These range from restoring thousands of acres of wildlife habitat to investing in emerging technology and long-term conservation research. SunZia Wind has also established robust environmental best practices to reduce project impacts and study effective habitat restoration strategies in partnership with local and state experts.
"Climate change is the number one threat to birds' survival, and projects like SunZia are key to reducing carbon pollution and creating a cleaner future for people and wildlife," said Garry George, Director of the National Audubon Society's Clean Energy Initiative. "We look forward to continuing to collaborate with Pattern Energy and other conservation groups to responsibly expand our nation's clean energy and transmission infrastructure in ways that avoid, minimize, and mitigate impacts on birds and communities."
"We welcome this important milestone for the SunZia project that will unlock New Mexico's vast renewable wind resource," said Fernando Martinez, Executive Director of the New Mexico Renewable Energy Transmission Authority (RETA). "Pattern Energy has been an excellent partner and we see SunZia as the model for planning and developing critical transmission projects that will advance our transition to clean energy.''
SunZia Transmission is a 550-mile ± 525 kV high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission line between central New Mexico and south-central Arizona with the capacity to transport 3,000 MW of clean, renewable energy. SunZia Transmission will open access to the western energy markets to SunZia Wind, the largest wind project in the Western Hemisphere, which is comprised of more than 3,500 MW of new wind generation located in Torrance, Lincoln, and San Miguel Counties in New Mexico.
Pattern Energy recently announced that the SunZia Transmission and SunZia Wind projects are expected to generate $20.5 billion dollars in total economic benefit, which includes over $8 billion of direct capital investment, at no added cost to ratepayers, according to the results of an independent study conducted by the research firm Energy, Economic & Environment Consultants LLC. Together, the projects will generate an expected $1.3 billion in fiscal impacts that will go to governments, communities, and schools. These benefits are generated through sales and use taxes, property taxes, community benefit payments, and land payments to federal and state agencies.
The Record of Decision also includes an updated Preferred Alternative Route for the adjacent RioSol Transmission Line, a 500-kV High Voltage Alternating Current project that will have a capacity of 1,500 MW and will bring additional clean resources to western markets.
About Pattern Energy
Pattern Energy is one of the world's largest privately-owned developers and operators of wind, solar, transmission, and energy storage projects. Its operational portfolio includes 35 renewable energy facilities that use proven, best-in-class technology with an operating capacity of nearly 6,000 MW in the United States, Canada, Japan, and Mexico. Pattern Energy is guided by a long-term commitment to serve customers, protect the environment, and strengthen communities.
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