Southern Company continues to demonstrate its commitment to developing more renewable energy resources. Through its subsidiary, Southern Power, the company acquired the 103MW Butler solar facility from Community Energy in Georgia. The acquisition tops Southern Power’s renewable portfolios up to 1,100 MW.
"The Butler solar facility builds on Southern Company's innovative approach to diversifying our nation's energy mix," said Southern Company Chairman, President and CEO Thomas A. Fanning. "Our strategic development of solar in Georgia continues our company's expansion of renewable energy generation in the Southeast."
The project, which was initially developed by Community Energy, Inc., will be located in Taylor County, Georgia, and is expected to enter commercial operation in the fourth quarter of 2016. Construction is slated to begin in September 2015, with First Solar, Inc., managing the building, operations and maintenance of the facility. First Solar will provide more than 1 million of its thin-film PV solar modules mounted on single-axis tracking tables. Southern Company has secured a 30-year power purchase agreement with Georgia Power to sell the electricity and associated renewable energy credits (RECs) generated by the project.
The Butler solar facility fits Southern Power's business strategy of growing its wholesale business through the acquisition and construction of generating assets substantially covered by long-term contracts. With the new acquisition, Southern Power now possesses 16 solar, wind and biomass projects, including four solar projects in Georgia.