CleanChoice Energy ("CleanChoice"), the first 100% green company in the U.S. that both owns solar generation assets and supplies clean energy directly to consumers, announced a new milestone in the company's evolution to make clean energy more widely accessible: it has interconnected its first fully owned and operated solar project. Located in Franklin County, Penn., the Blairs Valley solar farm has the generating capacity to supply the equivalent of 4,500 homes with renewable energy. It is the first completed of several upcoming projects in the company's pipeline.
Key Project Details
The Blairs Valley solar project has a capacity of 26.15 MW and sits on 168 acres. Built with sophisticated development standards in mind, the farm includes more than 30,000 bifacial solar panels and is equipped with flex tracking that enables smart rotation to optimize the amount of sunlight captured. The solar farm is interconnected to the PJM electric grid, which supplies energy to utilities in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and regions throughout other surrounding states.
"This interconnection marks an important milestone in CleanChoice Energy's long-term solar generation plans. We are not only connecting people to clean energy sources, but now we are also generating and adding renewable energy to the grid," said Zoë Gamble, President of CleanChoice. "As staunch supporters of the environment, we are committed to responsible development of our solar projects by making mindful design choices that support local wildlife, the land and the community. We are eager to continue this work as we embark upon new solar generation projects and do our part to support a future free from catastrophic climate change."
Supporting the Environment and Community
Reinforcing its commitment to bettering the planet, CleanChoice worked with local seed conservationists to develop a solar farm seed mix that welcomes pollinators. Intentional design plans for the solar project also foster existing habitats on the property, including permeable fencing to allow free movement of wildlife through the space and the preservation of natural wetlands through an extension of the interconnection path.
In tandem with the interconnection in Blairs Valley, CleanChoice also announced a new scholarship program that will help support the future generation of renewable energy and environmental science leaders. For the first four years of the solar project's operation, CleanChoice will award an annual scholarship of $2,500 to a graduating senior from the local school district which can support college or vocational education.
Expanding Retail Solar Generation
The project pioneers using retail supply as the offtaker - allowing the project to serve thousands of retail customers. "Blairs Valley is just the start of a new way to value the collective impact of people's choice of clean energy," says Devin Sanderson, Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President of Churchill Stateside Group, "We are pleased to support CleanChoice in bringing utility scale solar to retail energy customers." Churchill Stateside Group served as the renewable energy tax equity investor for Blairs Valley and Range Renewable Advisors served as advisor to CleanChoice.
The Blairs Valley solar project is the first in a number of projects in the pipeline for CleanChoice as it fulfills its commitment to expanding into a solar owner and operator model. The company recently announced a 29MW solar project in Kylertown, Penn., that will break ground this winter. CleanChoice has upwards of ten additional solar projects lined up in the coming months, expanding its footprint across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions.
For more information, visit www.cleanchoiceenergy.com.
ABOUT CLEANCHOICE ENERGY
CleanChoice Energy is one of the leading 100% renewable energy suppliers in the U.S., building solar farms and providing consumers with alternative ways to access clean energy. CleanChoice has redefined cleantech, making it easy for people to live cleaner lives with pollution-free, renewable energy for their homes and businesses. With CleanChoice, every kilowatt of electricity used is replenished onto the grid with 100% clean energy from regional wind and solar projects. Founded in 2012, CleanChoice has become one of the fastest-growing businesses in America, as ranked on the Inc 5000 and Deloitte's Technology Fast 500 . CleanChoice Energy is majority-owned by Funds managed by True Green Capital Management LLC. For more information or to become a clean energy customer, visit CleanChoiceEnergy.com.
Media Contact:
Debbie Ehrman
FINN Partners
CleanChoiceEnergy@finnpartners.com
Kate Colarulli
Chief Strategy Officer
Mobile: +1 202 380 8936
kate.colarulli@cleanchoice.com
