Coweta-Fayette EMC CEO Chris Stephens announced that the cooperative’s renewable energy supplier, Green Power EMC, has reached an agreement to purchase the full output of a new 52 MW AC solar array planned for construction in Jeff Davis County near Hazlehurst.
Coweta-Fayette EMC will receive approximately 20 percent of the solar energy produced from this project, along with eight other electric cooperatives, helping to make Georgia the fastest-growing solar state in the U.S.
According to Stephens, the solar array will occupy approximately 600 acres, will include technology that allows panels to track the sun from east to west and will produce enough electricity to serve around 8,500 EMC households. Once completed, the project will generate more than 134 million kW hours of 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 the emissions from more than 19,500 automobiles.
This is the second such agreement that Green Power EMC has executed with owner-operator Silicon Ranch Corporation. 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.
Stephens said this project is the result of a request for proposals issued in late 2013 to add more solar energy to Green Power EMC’s portfolio. The company provides renewable energy to 38 of Georgia’s EMCs.
“The addition of one of the largest solar projects in Georgia to our power generation portfolio not only demonstrates our commitment to the state’s renewable resources, it also allows our members the choice to purchase competitively priced solar energy,” Stephens said. “We are excited to be a part of this major expansion of solar energy in Georgia.”
Green Power EMC and its partner, Silicon Ranch, are also developing a 20 MW AC solar array in Jeff Davis County that will begin producing electricity in late 2015. Both projects total more than 72 MW AC of capacity and, when combined, will more than triple the total renewable capacity of Green Power EMC, from the current 32 MW to about 104 MW. Collectively, the two Hazlehurst projects are set to become 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 U.S.
Coweta-Fayette EMC is a consumer-owned cooperative providing electricity and related services to more than 76,000 member accounts in Coweta, Fayette, Heard, South Fulton, Clayton, Spalding, Troup and Meriwether counties.
Green Power EMC was the first green energy provider in the state. It was created by Georgia’s EMCs in 2001 and has been selling green energy since 2003. In addition to landfill gas generation, Green Power EMC obtains power from renewable facilities all over the state, including low-impact hydroelectric, biomass from wood waste and solar power. EMCs that own Green Power EMC serve more than 4.1 million Georgia residents. For more information about renewable energy efforts in Georgia visit www.greenpoweremc/solar.com.
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 also owns and operates a solar farm in Social Circle.
