(JEFFERSON, GA., July 6, 2017) — Jackson EMC is adding an additional 10 MW of solar to its energy portfolio by participating in four new solar generation sites in southern Georgia. These four sites are expected to be in service by 2020 and will bring a total of an additional 200 MW of solar generation to the state.
“As northeast Georgia continues to grow, this is an investment that makes good business sense for our members,” said Chip Jakins, president and CEO of Jackson EMC. “Our participation in this project brings enough new solar energy to our members to provide electricity to 1,400 average homes.”
Jackson EMC members see their power measured in kW on their monthly bills, and 1,000 kW is the same as one MW. With the addition of these 10 MW, Jackson EMC will have a total of 20.7 MW of solar generation capacity. The energy expected with this capacity is roughly 50,000,000 kWh or enough energy to help power 3,200 average residential homes.
The impact that the four new solar sites bring to EMC members across Georgia is even bigger. The sites total capacity of 200 MW produces enough power to help supply energy to more than 35,000 average households annually.
These new South Georgia sites are only the most recent projects to be developed in ongoing strategic partnership between Silicon Ranch and Green Power EMC. Through this partnership Silicon Ranch will develop, own and maintain the solar generation on the four new South Georgia sites. Green Power EMC will then purchase the generated energy and environmental attributes on behalf of its members, like Jackson EMC.
The two organizations have previously worked together to develop a 20 MW solar site in Jeff Davis County, Ga., near Hazlehurst in 2015 and a recently dedicated 52 MW site, also near Hazlehurst. More than 30 EMCs, including Jackson EMC, benefit from the power generated at those two sites.
“Georgia’s EMCs deserve enormous credit for their vision to provide competitively-priced, renewable power to their members,” said Green Power EMC President Jeff Pratt. “Continued improvements in solar cost and technology will help our EMCs meet their members’ interest in solar energy and maintain competitive energy costs. We are proud to partner again with Silicon Ranch to provide solar energy to them at such an affordable cost.”