188-megawatt solar project bolsters U.S. energy security and workforce development, with domestic manufacturers and union career paths
Home-grown power progresses energy independence along with a diversified, reliable electricity supply
Power contract with Google furthers corporate investment into Indiana
Indiana is harvesting benefits from 188 megawatts of new clean energy generation, as Lightsource bp’s Honeysuckle solar project in St. Joseph County enters commercial operation. Supporting our nation’s made-in-America supply chain while leveraging 85% local labor, the privately funded solar farm demonstrates the tangible benefits of investing in home-grown renewable energy.
“With our project partners, we are supporting the rapidly growing U.S. solar manufacturing sector, local unions, and investing in rural America,” said Emilie Wangerman, COO of Lightsource bp USA. “Honeysuckle Solar showcases these and other quantifiable benefits Americans are deriving from the Inflation Reduction Act.”
Access to renewable energy also supports corporate investment into communities. Lightsource bp and Google have signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) for the electricity from Honeysuckle Solar, on the heels of Google’s announcement that they are expanding their Midwest presence with a $2 billion data center campus in Fort Wayne.
“We have an ambitious goal to operate every Google campus on clean electricity every hour of every day by 2030, which will include our Fort Wayne data center once it comes online,” said Amanda Peterson Corio, Google’s Global Head of Data Center Energy. “We look forward to working with Lightsource bp to support our Indiana operations with clean energy and drive continued economic impact in the state.”
Boosting local labor and made-in-America
Located about 10 miles west of South Bend, Honeysuckle Solar provides concrete examples of how utility-scale solar can strengthen American energy leadership, in addition to uplifting local economies.
South Bend-based Inovateus Solar LLC was the construction contractor for the facility, with a focus on utilizing local labor for the mechanical, electrical and civil work on site. 85% of the 200 direct construction workforce was local labor, represented by 280,000 local man hours.
Participating unions included: IBEW Local 153, IUOE Local 150, and LiUNA Local 645. Entry level workers gained hands-on experience and training, with opportunities to enroll in apprenticeship programs that create lifelong, family sustaining careers.
The project supported U.S. manufacturers, with solar panels from First Solar, smart solar trackers from Array Technologies and steel from Nucor.
Honeysuckle will deliver $30 million in revenue to the local community over the project life – additional funding for local schools and other services, without a tax increase on its citizens.
“Over the last couple of years, the desire by companies to have access to renewable energy is a must as the companies consider investing in the region,” said Bill Schalliol, Executive Director of Economic Development for St. Joseph County. “The ability to have a project like Honeysuckle Solar proximate to their development site is a huge win and a major attraction piece as we sell a hub of enterprise in St. Joseph County called the Indiana Enterprise Center. We have had over $14 Billion of new project investment announced this year, and access to a project like Honeysuckle that is generating local clean energy onto our grid is a major factor in that investment.”
