Golden Triangle I Solar and Battery Energy Storage Project

Lowndes County, Mississippi

Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) completed an Environmental Assessment (EA) for a proposed power purchase agreement (PPA) with a solar generating facility in Lowndes County, Mississippi.

TVA tentatively approved an agreement to purchase the electricity and environmental attributes generated by the Golden Triangle Solar Project in Lowndes County, Mississippi. The Project would be constructed by MS Solar 5 and is expected to generate up to 200 megawatts (MW) of alternating current (AC) capacity and a 50 MW AC – 200-Megawatt hour Battery Energy Storage System (BESS). In addition to purchasing the electric output under the PPA with MS Solar 5, TVA also plans to install a switching station as part of the Project, referred to as the Artesia Switching Station.

The proposed Project is located north and east of the town of Artesia, Mississippi. The Project Site includes 29 individual parcels on which the solar array footprints, Golden Triangle Substation, connection lines, gen-tie, and the Artesia Switching Station and associated access roads would be constructed. The Solar Facility would consist of multiple parallel rows of photovoltaic panels on single-axis tracking structures, along with direct current and alternating current inverters and transformers.

Customer demand for cleaner energy prompted TVA to release a Request for Proposal (RFP) for renewable energy resources (2019 Renewable RFP). The MS Solar 5 PPA that resulted from this RFP will help TVA meet immediate needs for additional renewable generating capacity in response to customer demands and fulfill the renewable energy goals established in the 2019 IRP. The Proposed Action would provide cost-effective renewable energy consistent with the IRP and TVA goals.

The Draft EA was released for a public review and comment period from December 22, 2020 - January 22, 2021.