THOMSON, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – McDuffie County may very well be getting a subject of photo voltaic panels generally known as a photo voltaic farm.
Extra tax income, jobs and cleaner vitality may all be sooner or later if county commissioners approve a $320 million proposed photo voltaic farm on Randall Hunt Street.
The undertaking is one in every of two clear vitality tasks that made information Wednesday in Georgia. The opposite is a $2 billion funding in photo voltaic panel manufacturing that can create 2,500 jobs in North Georgia.
Each plans come after the passage of a local weather change invoice that was signed into regulation in August. The regulation would mandate spending, tax credit and loans to spice up photo voltaic panels, residence vitality effectivity, emissions reductions for coal and gas-fired energy vegetation, and air air pollution management. for farms, ports and low-income communities.
The McDuffie County photo voltaic farm will cowl practically 2,000 acres, however will not be seen from Interstate 20.
Developer representatives say that is greater than a one-time undertaking for them.
“It’s our aim to be good stewards of the neighborhood from the event stage to your complete lifetime of the undertaking, by involving neighborhood leaders” and collaborating in sponsorships, mentioned Stephanie Miller EDF Renewables.
Jason Smith with McDuffie County says it is essential for the county to accomplice with corporations that put the neighborhood first.
He mentioned the essential factor is “that symbiotic relationship you have got with an organization like that reveals that, you already know, they need to be greater than only a enterprise on this neighborhood, they need to be a part of in the neighborhood.”
Developer Telly Manos says whereas the photo voltaic farm is the corporate’s focus now, it hopes to have a much bigger affect in the long run.
“The long-term impact is nice, the 2 to 4 on-site personnel will keep the power, after which enhance the job alternatives for native companies,” mentioned Manos.
If the proposal is accredited, the developer’s subsequent step is to discover a purchaser for the electrical energy. Georgia Energy is the primary goal, but when not, the builders are contemplating a non-public purchaser.
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