Exelon seeks funds for largest urban solar plant in the U.S.
Exelon, owner of utility Commonwealth Edison, announced that it has applied for federal loan guarantees to build what it says will be the largest urban solar plant in the U.S. Located on the south side of Chicago, the project is expected to cost more than $60 million and require 32,800 solar panels to deliver energy to as many as 1,500 homes a year.
Exelon will not only build, but also own and operate the 10-megawatt plant. It has already struck a deal with SunPower to produce the panels. This is yet another deal for the San Jose-based solar equipment company, which just landed a major project in Florida last week. It’s also good news for Chicago, with construction creating as many as 200 temporary jobs where they are much needed.
While the facility is contingent on Exelon receiving the federal loan guarantees, it seems to be exactly the kind of project the government is looking to fund with the stimulus bill. Not only would it benefit a typically underserved community, but would also slash greenhouse gas emissions by up to 31.2 percent — the equivalent of removing 2,500 cars from the road, reports the Chicago Sun-Times.
Next Story: Jodange nabs $1.2M for product opinion analysis
Previous Story: Plas2Fuel captures $4.3M for waste-to-fuel technology
About the Author, Camille Ricketts
Camille is the lead writer for GreenBeat. She came to VentureBeat from Google where she worked on its traditional platforms team, particularly in TV. Before that, she was a reporter for the Wall Street Journal in New York and London. Follow her on Twitter at @camillericketts, and follow VentureBeat on Twitter at @venturebeat.
With GreenBeat 2009, VentureBeat's all-star conference on all things Smart Grid, coming up in November, Camille will be expanding coverage of this exciting space. Stay up to date by following @greenbeat2009 on Twitter or by becoming a fan of the event on Facebook here.