West Madison County will soon have a new solar energy facility, that has been awarded by Jackson Energy Authority. It will consist of a two-megawatt solar generation project through the Tennessee Valley Authority’s Distributed Solar Solutions pilot program, and construction is expected to begin in the summer of 2018 and be completed by late 2018 or early 2019.
Bruce Dorris, communications manager of JEA, said this project will be an industrial community solar project and give local companies a renewable energy source in Jackson.
“So many of the industrial customers, whether they’re a nationwide company or regional company, they’re required to have a certain amount of renewable energy credit,” Dorris said. “As you produce renewable energy, solar in this case, that system is accredited with a certain amount of green credit, because you’re making electricity that is not filled with fossil fuels. Those green credits are what companies are in need of to satisfy certain federal requirements.”
JEA partnered with Silicon Ranch of Nashville, who will fund, build, own and operate the new solar energy facility.
“Sustainability is an important aspect of the industrial community’s culture,” Jim Ferrell, president/CEO of JEA, said in a press release. “Jackson Energy Authority is proud to partner with TVA and Silicon Ranch Corporation in the development of this community solar project, which will allow us to assist our local industrial community in meeting their corporate sustainability goals in a cost-effective manner.”