Williams to deploy solar
TULSA — Williams is adopting a sunny disposition.
The company announced earlier this month it intends to develop multiple solar energy installations at natural gas processing and shipping locations across parts of its operational footprint.
Primarily, installations of the power systems of up to 40 megawatts in capacity will be made on adjacent companyowned lands.
Officials said specific sizes will be dictated both by location-specific power needs and the amount of land available.
Install locations have been identified so far in Alabama, Colorado, Georgia, Louisiana, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia, and t he company plans for those systems to be operating before the end of 2021.
More could be added later. Officials indicated its total investment, which wasn't revealed, will be affordable thanks to federal and state tax
credits and an opportunity to sell excess power generated by the systems back to grid operators.
Williams CEO Alan Armstrong said he expects the investments will generate returns for shareholders while also helping to preserve the environment.
Armstrong and other officials noted renewable energy and natural gas power generating facilities already are working together to provide substantial amounts of power to the nation's grid.
Brian Hlavinka, Williams' director of corporate strategic development, said each megawatt of installation will require between 6 and 10 acres of land.
“When you are talking about 40 megawatts, that requires a sizable chunk of land,” Hlavinka said.
He said the power they generate will be used in some locations to help power compressor stations, in some cases even electric driven motor compression units, that move gas across the company's 30,000-plus miles of pipelines.
In others, the power will be used to help energize natural gas processing plants in Williams' northeastern and western operational areas.
“Basically, we are looking to offset what we purchase from the grid during peak solar generating times,” he said.
Williams own sand operates more than 30,000 miles of pipelines system wide– including Trans co, the nation' s largest volume pipeline – and handles approximately 30% of the natural gas in the United States.
Both Hlavinka and Armstrong said solar is an attractive option for Williams because of federal tax credits that offset costs to acquire and build the systems and because of renewable energy programs used in many states to encourage growth of alternative energy sources.
“Given the current market structures and tax incentives, we are able to make these attractive incremental investments while continuing to enjoy the reliability that the grid provides via natural gasfired power generation,” said Armstrong. “In addition, solar installations at self-consuming industrial sites like this make more sense because there is less incremental land use and less power transmission voltage losses.”
From an environmental and social governance perspective, meanwhile, Hlavinka noted Williams' decision to begin using the technology sets it apart from its industry peers.
“We see natural gas and solar as complementary energy sources," Hlavinka said. “So it seemed like a natural fit for us to put the two together.
“We think this is a great way to not only continue to build our business, but do it in a way that will continue to accomplish that in a responsible and clean manner.”