May 29 2015
Green Power EMC, the renewable energy supplier for 38 Georgia Electric Membership Corporations (EMCs), has reached a new agreement to purchase the full output of a new 52 megawatt (MWAC) solar array planned for construction in southeast Georgia.
This is the second such agreement that Green Power EMC has executed with owner-operator Silicon Ranch Corporation. The two parties are currently developing a 20 MWAC solar array that will begin producing electricity in the fall of 2015. Both projects, totaling over 72 MWAC of capacity, are located near Hazlehurst, Ga. in Jeff Davis County.
Collectively, the Hazlehurst projects are set to be one of the largest solar generating facilities in Georgia and will propel Jeff Davis County into position as one of the top solar communities in the United States.
Jeff Pratt, president of Green Power EMC, said the additional site in Hazlehurst serves as yet another signal of the company's commitment to add more solar energy to its portfolio. Pratt said the two Silicon Ranch sites at Hazlehurst combined will more than triple the total renewable capacity of Green Power EMC – from the current 32 MW to about 104 MW.
"This phase represents our second major solar power addition in less than a year, and we are excited about the considerable benefits it will bring to the state of Georgia," Pratt said. "Georgia is the fastest-growing solar state in the country, and we are proud to work with Silicon Ranch to strengthen that position."
According to Pratt, the 52 MW array will occupy approximately 600 acres, will include technology that allows the panels to track the sun from east to west, and will produce enough electricity to serve approximately 8,500 EMC households. Once completed, the 52 MW array will generate more than 134 million kilowatt hours of clean, renewable electricity annually. That amount of clean energy offsets 92,500 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions, equivalent to the annual emissions from burning 10,400,000 gallons of gasoline, or put another way, the emissions from more than 19,500 passenger cars.
Under the agreement Silicon Ranch will own and operate the solar array, and Green Power EMC will purchase all the energy and environmental attributes it produces at cost-competitive rates over a 30-year period. Construction on the 52 MW array is scheduled to begin in late 2015, and the facility will be ready to produce electricity in the fall of 2016.
Silicon Ranch Corporation is a top 15 solar owner-operator in the U.S. and provides customized solar solutions based on the needs of its customers. Silicon Ranch has been instrumental in assisting many of its customers accomplish numerous firsts in their marketplaces. Silicon Ranch currently owns and operates Georgia's largest solar facility in Social Circle, GA. The project announced today, however, will be almost twice as large.
Matt Kisber, president of Silicon Ranch Corporation, said, "We are honored to continue our important partnership with Green Power EMC and their members to help them fulfill their long-term goal of incorporating solar into their renewable power portfolio. The leadership and membership of Green Power EMC deserve tremendous credit for their vision and commitment to provide competitively priced, renewable power to their membership and to the state of Georgia."