nwitimes | Heather Ennis January 15
The northwest parts of our state are undergoing a transformation, attracting industry and investment like never before. Among the most exciting elements of this renewal is our capacity to lead the way in developing renewable energy. Nothing typifies this enthusiasm like Mammoth Solar, a 1.3-gigawatt solar farm in Starke and Pulaski counties. The project is being built in multiple phases, but no matter how you slice it, Mammoth Solar is making progress and getting closer to its goal of providing thousands of Indiana households with electricity.
Aside from supplying the grid with renewable energy, Mammoth Solar has the potential to energize Indiana through job creation, investment, and a genuine desire to be a part of the communities that make Indiana so special.
For starters, Doral Renewables, the Philadelphia-based company behind the project, isn’t like some of the other renewable developers that have come and gone. Rather than passing off the operation of the solar farm once it’s brought online, Doral Renewables is here to stay until its decommissioning decades from now. The company wants to be a good neighbor to Hoosiers and a good steward of our land. So much so, in fact, that Nick Cohen, CEO and co-founder, personally met with each landowner who signed onto the project. Welcoming the project to our kitchen tables and backyards also provides a generational economic expansion for the region.
Mammoth Solar’s project will benefit Indiana communities near and far. Projects of this scale need hundreds of construction workers. On any given day, over 200 employees might be at the construction site, building the infrastructure that will power our homes and businesses for decades. Once operational, the project will sustain over two dozen full-time jobs in fields ranging from electrical maintenance to vegetation management. Already, the companies building Mammoth Solar report over 70% of these jobs have gone to Hoosiers. There’s not a doubt in my mind that this trend will continue during construction and long afterwards.
The local economic boost doesn’t end there. Employment opportunities trickle down to newfound revenue for nearby hotels, restaurants and shops. Of course, construction requires equipment and raw materials. These necessities are and will continue to be sourced from local businesses. The construction phase alone raises the entire region’s economy, and that’s without mentioning its several other benefits.
In addition to creating jobs both directly and indirectly, Mammoth Solar promises vast upside for Starke and Pulaski counties. Doral Renewables will invest $1.5 billion there, reducing pressure on residents to fund improvements to local schools roads, and bridges. Additionally, the company prioritizes agrivoltaics, or the simultaneous use of land for both solar energy and agriculture, even growing popcorn on the infrastructure that will host solar panels. Doral Renewables has taken time to understand what matters to us and plan with that in mind. I can think of no better partner as we support this thrilling transformation.
Mammoth Solar will energize Indiana — both literally and figuratively. Not only will it produce sustainable electricity for thousands of our households, but it will fuel growth in the parts of our state that deserve it the most. Such an opportunity deserves our support, from now until the project’s decommissioning.
This post is the work of the author(s) indicated, and does not reflect the views of MyRenewableResource.
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