McCarthy completes construction of 52-MW solar facility in southeast Georgia

Atlanta and Hazlehurst, Ga. — McCarthy Building Companies Inc., along with Silicon Ranch and Green Power EMC, announced completion of one of the largest solar energy projects in Georgia. The new 52-megawatt (MW) solar facility in Hazlehurst, Ga., will provide clean power at cost-competitive rates to Green Power EMC for the next 30 years.

Silicon Ranch Corporation, a Nashville-based renewable energy provider, selected McCarthy’s Renewable Energy Team as the Engineer Procure Construction (EPC) contractor. The construction firm was responsible for the design, procurement, construction, commissioning, and handover of the solar project to developer Silicon Ranch, which will own and operate the facility. Construction began in April 2016 on the 480-acre utility-scale solar energy plant in Jeff Davis County and is expected to generate more than 134 million kilowatt hours of renewable energy annually to customers of Green Power EMC. During the eight-month construction period, more than 300 workers were employed, most of whom are local area residents.

In recent years, McCarthy’s Renewable Energy Team has completed of more than 20 utility-scale clean energy projects in communities from coast to coast, a combined capacity of more than 1 Gigawatt (GW) of clean energy production. Since 2015, the firm’s Southeast operations have constructed five solar projects in the region, three in Tennessee, one in Arkansas, and the firm’s largest project in Georgia.

“McCarthy has done an outstanding job on our latest solar facility here in Georgia” said Silicon Ranch President and CEO Matt Kisber, “McCarthy’s partnership has helped us create a project that will bring significant environmental and economic benefits to Green Power EMC and its members, the local community, and the surrounding region.”

“We are thrilled with our partnership with Silicon Ranch and our involvement in this monumental solar project, which is projected to help serve more than 8,500 Georgia households,” said Kevin Kuntz, president of McCarthy Southeast office. “Solar production in the state is an emerging and important energy solution, and this project is a great example of a collaboration that is helping to enhance our nation’s energy infrastructure.”

McCarthy Building Companies, Silicon Ranch, and Green Power EMC “flipped the switch” on the 52-MW AC solar facility in Hazlehurst, Ga., on Wednesday, April 19, 2017, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.