Mammoth Solar is a 1,600 megawatt (MWDC) solar photovoltaic power project in Pulaski and Starke Counties, Indiana, United States. The plant is being contructed in three phases and will be the largest solar project in the United States and western hemisphere when complete.[1] The first section of 400 MW came online in July 2024.[2] The project is being developed by Doral Renewables, a subsidiary of Israeli company Doral Energy, and is expected to cost $1.5 billion.[1] It will produce enough electricity to power 250,000 homes.[3]
| Mammoth Solar | |
|---|---|
 Groundbreaking ceremony for Mammoth North Solar | |
 | |
| Country | United States |
| Location | Indiana |
| Coordinates | 40°59′38″N 86°49′30″W / 40.994°N 86.825°W |
| Construction began | October 2021 |
| Commission date | July 2024 (phase 1) |
| Owner(s) | Doral Energy |
| Solar farm | |
| Type | Flat-panel PV |
| Site area | 13,000 acres (5,300 ha) |
| Power generation | |
| Nameplate capacity | 1,600 MWDC 1,300 MWAC |
Project
editDoral has contracts with about 60 landowners to use approximately 13,000 acres of land for the project, though excluding setbacks, forests, and wetlands, the 2.85 million solar panels will cover only about 2,500 acres.[3] Most of the farmland is used for corn ethanol production;[3] powering gasoline cars with bioethanol consumes around 70 times more land than powering electric vehicles with solar power.[4] Doral is working with landowners to support dual uses of the project land as agrivoltaics to allow for sheep grazing and crop farming around the solar panels, including reseach on plant growth under panels.[5]
The phases will use three points of interconnection on a 345 kV power line to deliver power into the PJM Interconnection.[3] American Electric Power has power purchase agreements for electricity produced in phases one and two and half of phase three.[1] Constellation Energy has a PPA for the other half of the power in phase three, passed on to four corporations[6]
Pulaski and Starke Counties will see $1 to 2 million per year in additional property tax revenue for the life of the project,[3] about a fifth of their budgets. Pulaski County also designated the project an Economic Revitalization Area, granting it a tax abatement; the Indiana Court of Appeals rejected a lawsuit challenging the designation.[7] Local landowners are paid about $600–1000 per acre leased.[8]
The project's name references Mastodon fossils that were unearthed in the region of the solar project, now on display at the National Museum of Natural History.[9][10]
NIMBY groups have organized against the project and filed suit against Pulaski County's zoning approval.[11]
Phases and construction
editSOLV Energy is the project's EPC contractor.[2]
The Mammoth North phase in Starke County had a groundbreaking ceremony in October 2021. Construction began in March 2022 and it was completed in July 2024 with a capacity of 480 MWDC/400 MWAC.[1][2][12] The project uses 540-watt modules from Trina Solar.[13]
The second phase, Mammoth South in Pulaski County, had a groundbreaking ceremony in November 2022. Construction is expected to begin in 2024, and it will have a capacity of 300 MWAC.[1][10][14]
Indiana governor Eric Holcomb attended groundbreaking ceremonies for both phases.[3][1]
Work on the 600 MWAC third phase, Mammoth Central in Pulaski County, may begin in 2025.[1][6]
See also
edit
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g Mills, Wes. "Mammoth Solar enters next phase of $1.5B project". Inside INdiana Business. Retrieved 2023-07-28.
- ^ a b c Brown, Alex. "Doral CEO excited to bring Mammoth North Solar project to the grid". Inside INdiana Business. Retrieved 2024-07-11.
- ^ a b c d e f "Northwest Indiana will be home to largest solar farm in U.S., covering 13,000 acres". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved 2023-07-28.
- ^ Mathewson, Paul (January 19, 2023). "CORN ETHANOL VS. SOLAR LAND USE COMPARISON" (PDF). Clean Wisconsin.
- ^ Charron, Cate. "Mammoth Solar project doubles land use with local animal, crop production". Inside INdiana Business. Retrieved 2023-11-28.
- ^ a b "MAMMOTH CENTRAL SOLAR |". doral-llc.com. Retrieved 2024-02-13.
- ^ Shrake, Alexa (2023-09-07). "Economic incentives for Pulaski Co. solar facilities upheld in related cases". The Indiana Lawyer. Retrieved 2023-12-09.
- ^ Brooker, Jena (2022-01-05). "The country's biggest solar farm is coming to one of the coal-friendliest states". Grist. Retrieved 2023-07-28.
- ^ "Mammoth Solar breaks ground in Pulaski County for next phase of $1.5B solar farm in Northwest Indiana". www.pulaskipost.com. Retrieved 2023-07-28.
- ^ a b Gerke, Paul (2024-01-25). "Mastodon skulls, homemade beer, and the largest solar project in America: A Mammoth update". Renewable Energy World. Retrieved 2024-02-13.
- ^ Milman, Oliver (2022-10-30). "'It's got nasty': the battle to build the US's biggest solar power farm". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-07-28.
- ^ "MAMMOTH NORTH SOLAR |". doral-llc.com. Retrieved 2024-02-13.
- ^ "SOLV Energy | Mammoth North". SOLV Energy. Retrieved 2024-02-13.
- ^ "MAMMOTH SOUTH SOLAR |". doral-llc.com. Retrieved 2024-02-13.