J-POWER USA Starts Work to Convert Retired Coal Facility Into new Solar and Storage Facilities

J-POWER USA Development Co., Ltd. (“J-POWER USA“) and funds managed by affiliates of Fortress Investment Group, LLC (“Fortress”) have agreed to jointly pursue development of Birchwood Solar, a 50 MWac solar plant and Birchwood Storage, a 190 MWac, energy storage facility. These projects would convert Birchwood Power, a coal plant which has been in operation since November, 1996 into facilities that will generate and store clean renewable energy.

Birchwood is J-POWER USA’s 3^rd solar project in development and part of our new initiative to add renewable generation to our existing portfolio. By re-purposing a coal-fired power plant as carbon free solar and energy storage facilities, we will continue to deliver reliable electricity generation to the marketplace.  This project benefits from existing transmission infrastructure, which will be used for the new solar and storage generation.  This will also enable us to continue our long-term partnership with the local community. With the decommissioning of Birchwood Power, J-POWER USA’s only coal-fired plant, our portfolio will consist exclusively of clean, efficient and reliable natural gas and renewable energy.

J-POWER USA and its affiliate companies now have interests in operating, construction and development power generating facilities, totaling approximately 7,000 MW. “This is an exciting opportunity to take a former coal plant site and transform it into an emission free, clean energy facility,” stated Mark Condon, President and CEO of J-POWER USA. “This project is part of J-POWER USA’s plan to increase our renewable portfolio and continue our efforts to build a cleaner sustainable energy future,” Condon continued.