Mortenson, a solar engineering, procurement and construction firm, has begun building an 86 MW AC solar facility for Silicon Ranch in Jeff Davis County, Ga.
Once the project is complete, Silicon Ranch will provide the renewable power it generates at cost-competitive rates to Green Power EMC, the renewable energy supplier for 38 of Georgia’s electric membership cooperatives (EMCs).
Silicon Ranch selected Mortenson as the project’s engineer-procure-construct (EPC) contractor. Mortenson is responsible for the design, procurement, construction, commissioning and handover of the facility. Silicon Ranch is funding the installation and will own and operate the array for the long term – an approach the company takes with every project it develops across the country.
The project scope includes civil, foundations, racking, modules, inverters, electrical collection systems and balance of systems hardware. Construction is now under way and expected to be completed before the end of this year. To construct the project, Mortenson is seeking to hire more than 275 team members from the local area including mechanics, electricians, operators, foremen, safety professionals, inventory specialists, carpenters, installers, general laborers and more. Mortenson will provide local workers with on-site training in pile driving, tracker assembly and panel installation.
The project, which is located in the unincorporated community of Denton, expands Silicon Ranch’s presence in Jeff Davis County, where it already owns and operates three solar projects totaling 112 MW AC in Hazlehurst. As a result of its previous investments, Silicon Ranch already stands among the largest taxpayers in Jeff Davis County, and its new project will contribute significant additional tax revenues for the local community for years to come.
