National Grid Renewables announced the start of commercial operation for its Prairie Wolf Solar Project (Prairie Wolf), located in Coles County, Illinois. The Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) located project boasts 200 MW of clean solar power and is contracted through a virtual power purchase agreement with Cargill.
Prairie Wolf utilizes next-generation Series 6 thin film solar modules developed and produced by First Solar Inc. and was constructed by SOLV Energy, formerly known as Swinerton Renewable Energy.
At the peak of construction, Prairie Wolf employed nearly 300 onsite workers. During operation, in addition to new onsite operations and maintenance jobs, Prairie Wolf will benefit local and statewide economies through the production of millions of dollars in new tax revenue and landowner income.
Announced earlier this year, Prairie Wolf will also fund a charitable Education Fund for the local school district. "This development will benefit the county in many ways, including donations through grants to organizations and schools throughout the county," commented Stan Metzger, Coles County Board Member.
Using the United States' Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) greenhouse gas equivalencies calculator, Prairie Wolf is projected to offset carbon dioxide emissions by 285,000 metric tons annually during operations.
