North Carolina is fast becoming another “Sunshine State,” with the announcement of its second solar energy project in less than a month. On April 11, Clean Energy Pathways, Inc., signed a joint venture agreement with Green Mountain Properties, LLC, to develop a $28 million solar power plant in Green Mountain, in western North Carolina.
That announcement followed the March 30 news of a new solar photovoltaic installation at the Port of Morehead City in the eastern part of the state.
Under the April 11 agreement, Green Mountain will provide 40 acres of land for the facility. Alabama-based Clean Energy (News - Alert) Pathways will be lead developer, engaging Florida-based ESA Renewables, LLC, as co-developer to provide a turnkey solution to have the project operational within four to six weeks of breaking ground.
Clean Energy Pathways will own the plant, which is expected to generate approximately $5.7 million in revenue for the company within the first year.
Company CEO J. Michael Parsons (News - Alert) says this is the start of a series of such projects that will be a significant part of the company's future. "This first solar power development is the beginning of a pipeline of such projects we have planned for 2011," said Parsons.
ESA Renewables has an extensive track record of fast-track development and management of solar power projects. The company has developed more than 400 solar power facilities within the past two years.
Jeff Burkett, CEO of ESA Renewables, said that the initial Green Mountain development can be completed very quickly. "ESA employs a technique that allows us to build a 4-megawatt (MW) solar power facility in fewer than eight weeks after we have received permits," said Burkett.
To forth To date, North Carolina’s rapidly growing solar energy industry has produced nearly 2,000 jobs at about 170 companies. As a further encouragement to renewable energy growth in North Carolina, on March 29, State Reps. Tom Murry (R-Wake), Jim Crawford (D-Granville), Tim Moffitt (R-Buncombe) and Ruth Samuelson (R- Mecklenburg) introduced House Bill 495, The Solar Jobs Bill. Passage of this bill is intended to increase market demand and competition, which will continue industry expansion by creating 4,000 new solar energy jobs in North Carolina – resulting in a total of 6,000 solar jobs by 2015.
Ivan Urlaub of the nonprofit
NC Sustainable Energy Association commented, “Solar power is a home-grown source of power that is making the cost of electricity for all of us more stable and secure as our competitive solar industry continues to rapidly drive down the cost of solar power.”
Cheryl Kaften is an accomplished communicator who has written for consumer and corporate audiences. She has worked extensively for MasterCard (News - Alert) Worldwide, Philip Morris USA (Altria), and KPMG, and has consulted for Estee Lauder and the Philadelphia Inquirer Newspapers. To read more of her articles, please visit her columnist page.Edited by
Janice McDuffee
