Palmetto, GA – July 2, 2014 – Coweta-Fayette EMC President/CEO Anthony H. “Tony” Sinclair announced today that initial steps have been taken to receive energy from a large, utility-scale solar project (one where the power produced is sold to wholesale utility buyers like Coweta-Fayette EMC, who in turn use the electricity received as part of their generation portfolio).
Palmetto, GA – July 2, 2014 – Coweta-Fayette EMC President/CEO Anthony H. “Tony” Sinclair announced today that initial steps have been taken to receive energy from a large, utility-scale solar project (one where the power produced is sold to wholesale utility buyers like Coweta-Fayette EMC, who in turn use the electricity received as part of their generation portfolio).
Coweta-Fayette EMC is one of 27 Georgia electric cooperatives working together as a team to purchase the output of the planned project for a 25-year period through Green Power EMC, the renewable energy supplier for 38 Georgia Electric Membership Corporations (EMCs).
The ground-mounted solar array will be constructed near Hazlehurst, in Jeff Davis County, and will be one of the larger solar generating facilities in Georgia. The solar array will occupy approximately 135 acres and will incorporate over 87,000 solar modules. Once completed, it will generate more than 43,000 MW hours of clean, renewable electricity annually.
The project is being built by owner-operator Silicon Ranch Corporation, based in Nashville, Tn. Construction is scheduled to begin this year as soon as final details are completed, and the facility is expected to be ready to produce electricity by the end of 2015. According to Sinclair, the 20 MW project is estimated to produce enough electricity to serve about 3,000 EMC households during the day, when weather conditions are favorable. As a result of this project’s large size, economies of scale are created that provide for operational efficiency opportunities.
Sinclair said the Hazlehurst project is the result of a request for competitive proposals issued in late 2013 to add more utility-scale solar energy to Green Power EMC’s portfolio. Green Power EMC and participating cooperatives already purchase the output of two small solar pilot projects, a 115 kW rooftop array near Athens and a 150-kW ground-mounted array near Warner Robins. He said the Hazlehurst project will nearly double the total renewable capacity of Green Power EMC from the current 32 MW to about 52 MW.
“The addition of this large solar project to the participating Green Power EMC co-ops’ power generation portfolio demonstrates our commitment to help develop the state’s renewable resources whenever it is both beneficial and cost effective,” said Sinclair. “We are excited to be a part of this major expansion of utility-scale solar energy in Georgia.”
An “all-of-the-above” energy portfolio policy, including an appropriate amount of utility-scale solar power coupled with energy efficiency programs, will provide co-op members with around-the-clock reliability at an affordable cost, Sinclair said.
Coweta-Fayette EMC is a consumer-owned cooperative providing electricity and related services to over 75,000 member account locations in Coweta, Fayette, Heard, Fulton, Troup, Spalding, Clayton and Meriwether counties.
About Green Power EMC
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 green 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 greenpoweremc.com.