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MN8 Energy, a top renewable energy company, has announced that it will own and manage the 135MWac Prairie Solar project in Champaign County, Illinois. This project will include 50MWac of capacity specifically for the City of Cambridge’s innovative virtual power purchase agreement (VPPA), making it the largest VPPA ever carried out by a U.S. city.
The City of Cambridge’s 50MWac share will produce around 113,000 MWh of clean energy each year, enough to power more than 25,000 households in Cambridge. The transaction was facilitated by Boston-based Sustainability Roundtable, Inc. through their Net Zero Consortium for Buyers (NZCB), a community designed to help buyers secure utility-scale clean energy.
Jon Yoder, President and CEO of MN8 Energy, said, “MN8 Energy is proud to own and operate this innovative project, providing a pathway for a distinguished U.S. city like Cambridge, MA, to take meaningful action on climate change, underscoring our commitment to providing decarbonization solutions for enterprise customers. By strategically locating this project in one of the nation’s most carbon-intensive grids, we’re maximizing both the environmental and community benefits of renewable energy deployment.”
Alberto Fernandez, Head of Construction at MN8 Energy, commented, “The Prairie Solar project represents the type of project that drives the clean energy transition forward. Through close collaboration with local stakeholders in Champaign County and innovative partnerships like our agreement with Cambridge, we’re demonstrating how large-scale solar can provide lasting economic benefits to host communities while helping municipalities across the country achieve their sustainability goals.
Located on the MISO grid, where only 32% of energy comes from low-carbon sources, the project is expected to reduce emissions by about 2.6 times more than similar solar projects in Massachusetts. According to 2022 EPA data, the City of Cambridge’s 50MWac share will prevent 70,510 metric tons of CO2 emissions each year by replacing fossil fuel-based power generation.
The Prairie Solar facility was designed with input from the local community and meets, and even surpasses, the requirements of the Champaign County solar ordinance. Construction is expected to be completed and the project operational by 2026. It will create around 300 construction jobs and bring substantial economic benefits to Champaign County. |
