Lightsource bp, has placed its 293 megawatt (MWdc) Sun Mountain solar project in Pueblo, Colorado, into commercial operation. Lightsource bp worked with Xcel Energy and McCarthy Building Companies to complete this project, which adds to its $500 million-plus commitment to Colorado’s clean energy infrastructure.
Project supports Xcel Energy’s energy plans
The project was part of Xcel Energy’s 2018 resource plan and supports the company’s current Colorado Energy Plan. The goal is to provide electricity from about 80% renewable sources and reduce carbon emissions by 85% by 2030, while maintaining affordable and reliable service for customers.
The project will power more than 53,000 homes The 293 MW project provides enough clean, affordable energy to power more than 53,000 homes, reducing more than 400,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions per year, or removing 87,000 gasoline-powered cars from the road each year.
Benefits to the community and the environment
Lightsource bp has installed and maintains over 3,000 acres of shortgrass prairie on the two Lightsource bp solar farms in Pueblo, creating habitat for wildlife while enhancing the sites’ ability to sequester carbon.
The Sun Mountain project has created hundreds of U.S. jobs throughout the supply chain, while supporting domestic manufacturers and low-carbon products. More than 400 people worked on site to build the facility, with about 200 hired from the local community.
The collaboration with McCarthy Building Companies
McCarthy Building Companies was the contractor for the project, which included the installation of 636,990 ultra-low carbon solar panels manufactured by Arizona-based First Solar and smart solar trackers manufactured by New Mexico-based Array Technologies. The collaboration has been a success, allowing McCarthy to prove its skills in building large-scale projects in Colorado and across the United States, including Lightsource bp’s Bighorn Solar project in Pueblo.
