Construction has broken ground under Averon Energy on the 288 MW solar plant in Posey County, Indiana. Texas-based electric and gas utility CenterPoint Energy owns and is working with Averon to bring the solar project together. Additionally, Betchel has been hired to work as the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractor. The project has been named the Posey Photovoltaic Plant. Energy generated from the plant will be used to power homes and businesses in southwestern Indiana. The number of homes that will benefit from the clean energy has been estimated to be 25,000.
Cost of the Posey Solar Plant in Indiana
The Posey Photovoltaic cost has an estimated cost of US$352 million according to Arevon. Over 200 full-time jobs will be created during the construction of the project. Moreover, it has been reported that there will be a multi-million-dollar budget to operate and maintain the project during its estimated 35-year lifespan. An estimated US$31.2 million will be spent in in Posey County. This will go toward hotels, restaurants and other local businesses during the construction period.
Completion Date
It is expected to begin operation in mid-2025. In February 2021the partnership between CenterPoint Energy and Averon was first announced. Nearly 4 years later, in October last year, the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC) gave final approval to CenterPoint Energy to acquire the project.
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“Renewable energy, such as solar, supports the diversification of our state’s energy portfolio, and decreases the tax burden on the county’s residents. It aso provides economic benefits to the landowners and improves the business environment for the county. Posey County, through the development of their balanced solar ordinance, encourages the development of renewable energy to support the future growth and viability of their rural community,” said Connie Neininger, a national policy advisor at the Center for Infrastructure & Economic Development.
The Pollinator Garden
What’s more, the project will have a pollinator garden spread across 20-acres. This will contribute to lease payments to Posey County landowners. Additionally, over US$30 million will be paid to local governments over the projects lifetime. As part of the commitments CenterPoint Energy has made to the county, specifically to the Marrs Township Fire Department, US$219,000 has been contributed towards new communications towers that will help ensure reliable radio service to first responders.
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“Posey Solar provides significant benefits to the state of Indiana and to Posey County, including cost-effective renewable energy, substantial construction jobs, and long-term tax benefits to the region. Arevon appreciates our partners and the stakeholders who made this project a reality, and we look forward to advancing the Posey Solar Project into operations,” said Arevon CEO, Kevin Smith.
Meta signs 210 MW PPA for upcoming Indiana Data Center
In other related solar news in Indiana, tech-giant, Meta, last week signed a PPA to procure 210 MW from Solarpack. The Spanish renewable energy company will provide this energy from two of its forthcoming solar projects in the state. It was also reported that the energy purchased from Solarpack will be used to power the upcoming US$800 million data centre in Indiana. This will further support its global operations which have relied 100 percent on renewable energy since 2020.
“We are excited to both support Meta’s decarbonization goals and reach this major milestone for Solarpack in the United States, a key growth market for us. We’re proud to offer global decarbonization solutions supporting local carbon-free generation near data center loads,” said Leo Moreno, CEO of Solarpack.
Meta anticipated that adding 9.8 GW of renewable energy to local grids in the U.S. through its supported wind and solar projects by 2025.
