Cooperative Energy recently celebrated the continued growth of its solar portfolio at Delta’s Edge — the cooperative’s newest utility-scale solar site. The 637-acre site, located in Carroll County six miles east of Greenwood, uses 250,152 panels to produce 100MW of electricity. The electricity is then delivered across the state, powering homes and businesses with environmentally friendly renewable energy.
“Delta’s Edge represents a significant commitment to our Member systems and their consumer-members who have expressed a desire for more green energy where it makes good economic sense,” Cooperative Energy President and CEO Jeff C. Bowman said in a news release.
As a deep south state, Mississippi is geographically situated to receive an abundance of sunlight. Bowman said expanding solar generation also makes sense because it enables the cooperative to diversify its energy generation portfolio while lessening the cost impact on Members.
“Our mission is to provide our Members with reliable and affordable energy,” Bowman said. “Our Members have asked us to look for opportunities to add more renewable energy to our generation mix without negatively affecting reliability or affordability, and the Delta’s Edge facility meets those goals.”
The site utilizes bifacial crystalline panels, which are mounted on trackers that enable the panels to rotate with the sun for maximum solar absorption. At its peak, the panels will convert enough sunlight into electricity to power 13,500 homes and businesses. Cooperative Energy has a 15-year power-purchase agreement with Cubico to purchase all the electricity produced by the site.
Cooperative Energy entered into an agreement with Renewable Energy Systems (RES) for the Delta’s Edge project in September 2018. RES designed and began development of the project and secured investors for the lifetime of the facility. Cubico Buffalo Holdings I, LLC, acquired the Delta’s Edge facility in December 2020 and began construction soon after. The project hired 50 local workers and employed seven subcontractors in and around Carroll County.
