Construction is complete on a 100 MW solar project in Mississippi, making it the largest operating solar farm in the state.
The Sunflower Solar Station will generate enough energy to power 16,000 homes within Entergy Mississippi's system.
Entergy Mississippi CEO Haley Fisackerly said the project serves as a "hedge against rising natural gas prices" while incentivizing corporations with renewable energy goals to locate in Mississippi. The utility aims to replace some aging natural gas plants with 1,000 MW of renewable energy over the next five years.
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Recurrent Energy developed the Sunflower Solar Station for Entergy Mississippi, which will own and operate the facility. Recurrent signed a build transfer agreement with Entergy Mississippi in 2018.
Mississippi-based Attala Steel supplied 2,475 tons of steel for foundations and A-1 Kendrick Fence Company, also located within the state, installed the perimeter fence. More than half of the labor hours that supported the project's construction were sourced locally, Entergy Mississippi said.
Signal Energy LLC served as the engineering, procurement, and construction provider.
The Sunflower Solar Station sits on approximately 1,000 acres in Sunflower County and connects to Entergy's transmission grid in Ruleville in the Mississippi Delta. The plant utilizes single-axis trackers and features 272,000 solar PV modules.