NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--MN8 Energy (MN8), a leading renewable energy company, today announced it will own and operate the 135MWac Prairie Solar project in Champaign County, Illinois, which includes 50MWac of capacity dedicated to the City of Cambridge's groundbreaking virtual power purchase agreement (VPPA). The project will support the largest VPPA ever undertaken by a U.S. city.
The City of Cambridge's dedicated 50MWac portion will generate approximately 113,000 MWh of clean energy annually, enough to cover the average electricity consumption of more than 25,000 Cambridge households. Boston-based Sustainability Roundtable, Inc. facilitated the City of Cambridge's transaction through their Net Zero Consortium for Buyers (NZCB), an innovative buyers’ community for utility-scale clean energy.
"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," said Jon Yoder, President and CEO of MN8 Energy. "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."
The project's location on the MISO grid, where only 32% of energy comes from low-carbon sources, means it will deliver approximately 2.6 times the emissions reductions compared to equivalent solar generation in Massachusetts. Based on 2022 EPA data, Cambridge's 50MWac portion alone is expected to avoid 70,510 metric tons of CO2 emissions annually by displacing fossil fuel generation.
"The Prairie Solar project represents the type of project that drives the clean energy transition forward," said Alberto Fernandez, Head of Construction at MN8 Energy. "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."
The Prairie Solar facility was designed considering the local community inputs and satisfies and, in many aspects, exceeds the requirements of the Champaign County solar ordinance. Construction of the Prairie Solar project is expected to achieve commercial operation before 2026. The project will create approximately 300 construction jobs and generate significant economic benefits for Champaign County.
About MN8 Energy:
MN8 Energy serves enterprise customers on their journey to an electrified, decarbonized world by providing renewable energy and related services. With approximately 4 gigawatts of operational and under-construction solar projects, 1.1 gigawatt hours of battery energy storage capacity comprised of over 875 projects across 28 states, and more than a dozen high-powered EV charging stations across 6 states, MN8 is one of the largest and most sophisticated independent solar energy and energy storage power producers in the United States.
