URBANA, Ill. (WAND)– Nexamp’s Solar Star Urbana Landfill community solar farm is ready to provide service as it launches the Illinois Solar for All program.
The program will allow low and moderate-income residents to save big.
The two co-located arrays that make up the project cover approximately 40 acres of a capped landfill, and features nearly 14,000 solar panels, which generate 5.2 MW of clean energy.
As a leading solar technology and energy services provider, SunPower Corporation, developed the sites, after qualifying under the Illinois Power Agency’s Solar for All program prior to the eventual transaction with Nexamp in 2020.
The Solar Star Urbana Landfill project was developed to send clean energy to the grid allowing subscribers to receive credits on their Ameren bill for their share of the energy produced.
The City of Urbana will benefit from the savings provided while helping to support the expansion of clean energy across the area.
Qualified residents throughout central and southern Illinois can join the program to receive a 50% discount compared to Ameren’s electricity supply rate.
“Our collaboration with SunPower marks another milestone in Nexamp’s mission to make clean energy accessible to all,” noted Jackie Chambers, Director of Corporate Development, Nexamp. “We are committed to ensuring that our local solar projects benefit the communities we serve, and that those benefits extend directly to the LMI community as well. To meet that imperative with the successful conversion of a landfill site into a productive asset for the City of Urbana is especially rewarding.”
SunPwers's Executive Vice President of Commercial Direct, Eric Potts states “We are proud to have developed this project, which represents an important new source of clean energy for Illinois, a major milestone for the City of Urbana, and a savings opportunity that will bring much-needed relief to qualified residents around the state.”
The project is said to offset more than 10 million pounds of carbon generating credits for nearly 1,000 subscribers, delivering on the promise of clean energy’s ability to improve communities in a variety of ways.
Construction for the project also provided local employment opportunities and brought a number of economic advantages to area businesses.
Scott Tess, Environmental Sustainability Manager for the City of Urbana, added, “There are so many reasons why this has been a good move for Urbana. We are gaining a new revenue stream in the lease and doing something beneficial with a former landfill, while also securing a project subscription that will bring us electricity savings for the city building. Clean energy is the key to a bright future for Urbana and for the nation, so we are happy to be playing a role.”
Since the passage of the Future Energy Jobs Act (FEJA), Nexamp has been developing a diverse and robust portfolio of solar assets to serve Illinois residents and businesses.
This includes more than 20 community solar farms developed under the state’s Adjustable Block Program and Illinois Solar for All Program.
Now, with the passage of the Climate and Equity Jobs Act, the ambitious successor to FEJA, Nexamp is looking forward to helping accelerate Illinois’ transition to a cleaner, more equitable energy economy by expanding offerings into utility-scale and brownfield solar, energy storage, and solutions to modernize the grid.
