July 6, 2026
Continue this week Projects weeklyindependent energy producer IPX Power has secured billions in financing for a series of massive solar and storage projects near Fresno, California. Elsewhere in the Golden State, two community facilities in Marin County are getting battery installations to help with growing concerns about power grid strain. Renewable America has also completed a series of locations for nut processing company Pearl Crop. In Illinois, New Energy Equity and the Harlem School District have powered a new community solar project and launched a new grant program for the district. Finally, Alaska is joining the U.S. solar race with a recently approved $3 million grant for a project in the state’s rural central region. Keep reading for all the details!
The Alaska Legislature approves nearly $3 million for the Allakaket Solar Project
The Alaska State Legislature has approved a Renewable Energy Fund (REF) grant for its 2027 budget, bringing a solar and battery project to the central region of the Last Frontier.
Located in the heart of rural Alaska, Allakaket currently has a population of just 177, according to the 2020 census. The project aims to solve the state’s current energy crisis, especially in remote areas like Allakaket, which is nearly 200 miles from Fairbanks and inaccessible by car.
“Having grown up and lived in rural Alaska, I understand firsthand the challenges posed by high energy costs,” said Senator Mike Cronk. “Due to the high cost of transporting diesel fuel to the community, Allakaket residents face some of the highest energy costs in the state. This project represents an important step toward reducing those costs and improving opportunities for local families, community facilities and businesses.”
Bright spot: While the project’s wattage is currently unknown, it will certainly boost the state’s numbers in the U.S. solar installation race. Alaska currently ranks 51st SEIAs ‘Solar state by state‘ ranking – in last place, with only 35 MW of solar energy and 176 MWh of battery storage installed.
“Renewable energy projects are essential for rural Alaska,” said Rep. Rebecca Schwanke. “The opportunity to bring a solar and battery project to Allakaket with the support and technical expertise of the Alaska Energy Authority couldn’t come at a better time given the high cost of fuel.”
The state Legislature also has approved plans for a reservoir expansion on Goat Lake, officials say. The $2 million grant will help increase water storage capacity, reduce dependence on diesel fuel and provide further energy cost stability for Alaska’s rural residents.
New Energy Equity and Harlem School District are pushing a community solar project
ALLETE Inc. subsidiary New energy stocks has powered a new 5.5 MW community solar project in Machesney Park in northern Illinois.
The project is managed by New Energy Equity and is located on city-owned land Haarlem School District. The community project will generate about 6.3 GWh of renewable energy each year, officials say, which amounts to enough energy to power just over 1,000 homes in Illinois.
“We are very proud of this project at New Energy Equity because of all the positive benefits it will deliver,” said Kyle Marchesseault, the company’s VP of Marketing. “It will provide benefits to the school district in the form of rental income and electricity bill savings. It will benefit four deserving, talented students through scholarships. And it will provide more energy to the local community at a time of increasing demand for electricity.”
Bright spot: In addition to the project itself and its energy impact, the New Energy Equity team has introduced a new grant program for the district, representatives say. The program will award $10,000 annually in scholarships and grants to the Harlem School District for the next 25 years, the projected life of the project.
In total, the company has committed $250,000 to the local community, New Energy Equity says. During the ribbon cutting and energy ceremony, four outgoing senior students also received scholarships.
“This collaboration represents what can happen when organizations come together with a shared vision for the future,” said Dr. Terrell Yarbrough, superintendent of the Harlem School District. “It is a partnership that will have a lasting impact not only on our schools, but on our students, our community and future generations.”
IPX Power secures financing for gigawatt-scale Darden projects
Independent energy producer IPX power announced that it has raised $4.95 billion in financing for the Darden Projects, a 1.15 GW / 4.6 GWh solar and storage project near Fresno, California.
The projects include a credit facility and three loans from a number of banks and are expected to be commercially operational sometime in 2028, IPX Power officials say. The projects plan to convert currently decommissioned agricultural land into a solar energy site in the Central Valley, the company added.
“The size of the Darden transaction reflects both the quality of what we are building and the strength of the relationships we have built at IPX Power,” said David Brochu, CEO of IPX Power. “Large, complex, innovative projects like Darden are central to the energy transition and are only feasible through close collaboration with trusted partners. We are pleased to have worked with Darden’s many financial partners to make this historic transaction a reality.”
Bright spot: The financing of the project is the first for IPX Power since its demerger from Intersect Power earlier this year. The newly secured financing also covers both the construction of the project and its long-term operation once it is fully online.
“This financing marks a defining moment not only for IPX Power, but also for California’s clean energy transition,” said Julien Tizorin, Managing Director and Head of Power and New Energy at Agricultural credit CIBone of the banks supporting the project.
“Darden is a testament to what is possible when visionary developers and committed financial partners build together – and we look forward to supporting IPX’s growing pipeline for years to come.”
California sees new battery installations at two Marin County facilities
Two “critical community facilities” in California’s Marin County are now getting battery storage installations, according to the Marin Community Foundation and MCE Clean Energy.
Nestled in the San Francisco Bay Area, the Community and Cultural Center of the Dance Palace at Point Reyes Station and the St. Vincent de Paul Society of Marin County have now installed batteries to combat rampant grid power on the West Coast.
“I am pleased to see these two projects moving forward to increase our community’s resilience and reduce dependence on the electric grid,” said Mary Sackett, Marin County District 1 supervisor and MCE board director. “MCE has reinvested more than $12 million in Marin County initiatives that support community members most impacted by climate change.”
Bright spot: Both projects achieved energy at no cost to either organization, and were funded solely by MCE’s Energy Storage Program and the Marin Community Foundation. MCE and its energy storage efforts have supported the installation of 90 commercial and residential battery projects in the area.
“Adding battery storage provides a new level of safety for our community,” said Claire Burns, executive director of the Dance Palace. “During outages, people turn to us for information, connection and support. Our partnership with MCE and the Marin Community Foundation allows us to keep our doors open when our community needs us most.”
Renewable America completes Pearl Crop solar sites in California
Supplier of distributed energy resources Renewable America has announced the completion of 1.9 MWdc of solar projects with a food processing plant Pearl Crop Inc.
The agreements between the two companies cover a series of four projects in three different Golden State locations ranging between Ripon, Linden and Stockton.
“We have had a fruitful collaboration with Pearl Crop from agreement to completion, and it is gratifying to see three of the project sites powered by solar energy,” said Ardeshir Arian, President & CEO of Renewable America. “These projects promote energy autonomy in local communities and contribute to our statewide carbon neutrality goals.”
Bright spot: The solar projects include multiple facilities in central California and are intended to advance Pearl Crop’s “ambitious” sustainability goals, Renewable America officials say. Specifically, the Stockton site will use solar energy for approximately 86% of its total energy needs, saving Pearl Crop a potential $230,000 in energy costs each year.
“Our Pearl Crop operations have high energy demands and we are on track for significant cost savings as a result of the transition to solar energy,” said Ulash Turkan, CEO of Pearl Crop. “We appreciate Renewable America’s expertise, cost-effective solutions and collaboration as we celebrate this important sustainability milestone and work toward a greener future.”
Renewable America will also use these solar projects as a sort of proof of concept for further commercial rooftop locations, with the company solving “several unique challenges” in design and installation. The company sought to avoid shading nearby buildings and ensured that traditional flat commercial roofs would not pose any problems to the structural integrity of the project.
Tags: commercial and industrial, Community Solar, project, Projects Weekly, utility scale
