Mortenson, a solar engineering, procurement, and construction firm, has begun building an 86 MW AC solar facility for Silicon Ranch in Jeff Davis County, Ga.
Once the project is completed, Silicon Ranch will provide the renewable power it generates at cost-competitive rates to Green Power EMC, the renewable energy supplier for 38 Georgia Electric Membership Corps.(EMCs) throughout the state.
Silicon Ranch selected Mortenson as the project’s engineer-procure-construct (EPC) contractor. Mortenson is responsible for the design, procurement, construction, commissioning and handover of the facility. Silicon Ranch is funding the installation and will own and operate the array for the long-term, an approach the company takes with every project it develops across the country.
“At Silicon Ranch, we believe we can make a positive difference in the communities we serve, and we’re pleased to work with Mortenson to execute this vision in Jeff Davis County,” says Reagan Farr, co-founder and CEO of Silicon Ranch.
“Hundreds of our neighbors helped to build our three previous projects in Hazlehurst, and we are excited about bringing that local experience to bear for this new project as well. We thank our partners at Green Power EMC and the Georgia electric cooperatives for making this project and these investments possible,” adds Farr.
The project scope includes civil, foundations, racking, modules, inverters, electrical collection systems and balance of systems hardware. Construction is now underway and expected to be completed before the end of this year. To construct the project, Mortenson is seeking to hire more than 275 team members from the local area including mechanics, electricians, operators, foremen, safety professionals, inventory specialists, carpenters, installers, general laborers and more. Mortenson will provide local workers with on-site training in pile driving, tracker assembly and panel installation.
The project, which is located in the unincorporated community of Denton, expands Silicon Ranch’s presence in Jeff Davis County, where it already owns and operates three solar projects totaling 112 MW AC in Hazlehurst. As a result of its previous investments, Silicon Ranch already stands among the largest taxpayers in Jeff Davis County, and its new project will contribute significant additional tax revenues for the local community for years to come.