Green Power EMC, participating EMCs and Silicon Ranch Corporation today joined with state and local officials and guests to dedicate a 20-megawattAC solar generating facility in Jeff Davis County in southeast Georgia near Hazlehurst. 

Construction was recently completed on the ground-based solar facility, which is situated on a 135-acre tract and includes about 87,000 solar panels.  This makes it one of the largest solar generating facilities in Georgia. 

The full output of the Hazlehurst solar facility is being sold under a 25-year contract to Green Power EMC, a renewable energy provider owned by 38 Georgia Electric Membership Corporations.  Twenty-seven EMCs are receiving power from the Hazlehurst project.    The solar facility is expected to produce more than 43,000 megawatt hours of clean, renewable energy annually – enough to offset 30,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions. 

Silicon Ranch and Green Power EMC are also planning a second solar facility in Jeff Davis County.  That project will be a 52 MW_AC solar generating facility and is expected to go into service in 2016.

Jeff Pratt, president of Green Power EMC, said Green Power and its member EMCs are excited to participate in their first large solar project, which will help produce enough energy for about 3,000 EMC households.

"Solar production in Georgia is an emerging and important energy source, and we are pleased to partner with Silicon Ranch Corporation to bring utility-scale solar energy to our member EMCs," Pratt said.  "The Hazlehurst facility and the second solar facility planned for Jeff Davis County next year will add more than 70 MW_AC to our growing portfolio of renewable energy sources.  This will give us more than 100 MW_AC of renewable energy capacity."

Silicon Ranch President and CEO Matt Kisber added, "Silicon Ranch is proud to be the solar partner for Green Power EMC and the Georgia EMCs. Silicon Ranch takes pride in providing the EMCs and their members competitively priced, solar-generated, renewable energy. Our solar projects provide great economic development benefits, and as long-term owners and operators our goals are aligned with the communities we serve."