Inola, a town in Rogers County, Oklahoma, has been selected to be home to the first Enel Solar Panel Factory in the USA. Enel North America, a maker of solar panels made the decision.
Later this year, work will begin on the 2-million-square-foot facility, and the first panels produced there should be available for purchase by the end of 2024. Later this year, hiring will start for positions related to production. Its North American subsidiary, 3Sun USA, will manage the factory.
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Enel benefits from being close to its current operations in the state. Additionally, from the logistical advantages of being situated at the Tulsa Port of Inola. The state provides simple access to rail and barge transportation, at the Inola site. Giovanni Bertolino, CEO of 3Sun USA, cited the state’s favourable investment environment.
This is especially because of the just-passed Perform Act, as a justification for picking the location. The legislation offers Enel a $180 million incentive package. In exchange, they must create jobs for 1,400 employees while constructing the site.
Cherokee Nation to be part of the team working on the First Enel Solar Panel Factory in the USA
The facility will be situated on Muscogee (Creek) Nation land. This is close to the Cherokee Nation land as a part of the Tulsa Port of Inola. Although the specifics of the relationship are still being worked out, Enel intends to collaborate with both tribes on staffing decisions and other project developments, according to Bertolino.
In a statement, Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. said: “With Enel North America constructing a production facility in Rogers County, we are seeing a significant step forward in pushing alternative energy efforts and supporting green energy manufacturing in a Cherokee community.
