Exus buys rights to develop Louisiana, Wisconsin solar plants

(The Center Square) - Power producer Exus Renewables North America has acquired the rights from German clean energy company ib vogt to develop four solar projects capable of generating 715 megawatts of electricity in south-central Louisiana and northwest Wisconsin.

In Wisconsin, the transaction gives Exus the development rights to a two-phase, 310-megawatt solar generation plant in Barron County, Maple Grove Solar 1 and 2. In Louisiana, the deal includes the 125-megawatt Bayou Teche Solar project in St. Mary Parish and the 280-megawatt Bayou Chicot Solar facility in Evangeline Parish.

The four solar projects are located in areas experiencing rapid growth in electricity demand, driven in part by data center development and advanced manufacturing, Exus said in a post on LinkedIn.

“Our focus is on identifying projects that can deliver power where it’s needed, when it’s needed,” said Jim Spencer, president and CEO of Exus Renewables North America.

“These projects are particularly attractive because of their potential to interconnect quickly in markets where demand growth is outpacing available generation,” said Spencer.

The four sites have been engineered to incorporate utility-scale battery backup systems designed to store solar energy. When fully operational, the combined solar and battery storage systems could supply electricity to approximately 390,000 average homes in Louisiana and Wisconsin.

The original developer, ibV Energy Partners, filed initial applications with state regulators in Wisconsin in 2020 and in Louisiana during the following year. The purchaser, Exus Renewables North America, is the U.S. subsidiary of global renewable asset manager Exus, which is based in Madrid, Spain.

The two companies did not disclose the purchase price. Exus executives revealed they are now finalizing negotiations to supply power to big technology firms and local utilities.

At the Bayou Chicot site in Louisiana, ibV Energy Partners engineers developed a plan intended to restrict total wetland disturbance to less than half an acre. In Wisconsin, the developers resolved a dispute with Barron County officials by finalizing building and safety plans detailing how local crews would handle battery fires.

Exus, whose U.S. headquarters is in Pittsburgh, manages more than 6 gigawatts of clean energy power generation with about 800 megawatts either operating or under construction.