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Doral Renewables CEO Nick Cohen, Indiana First Lady Janet Holcomb and Indiana Secretary of Commerce David Rosenberg hold a proclamation from Gob. Holcomb declaring July 9, 2024 as "Indiana Agrivoltaics Day." |
The company was joined by Indiana’s Secretary of Commerce David Rosenberg, landowners, representatives from SOLV Energy, Nextracker, the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), the American Clean Power Association (ACP), and other industry leaders and project stakeholders.
The event was heavily focused on the project’s social and economic impacts on the local community, including personal stories shared over a video production highlighting local testimonies from farmers and business owners.
“Mammoth Solar’s presence is felt everywhere throughout the county. Almost every industry and business will reap the benefits of this project,” said RJ Howard, Chef and Owner of Maggie Lu’s Market, a local restaurant and catering business.
Doral Renewables and its project partners take pride in its agrivoltaics operations, with more than 1,500 sheep currently serving as the project’s vegetation management, an operation run by local farmer Billy Bope.
“The dual-use opportunities presented by Mammoth Solar are a win-win scenario. We’re able to diversify our farming practices with livestock, which allows us to maintain the vegetation to the level Mammoth North needs,” said Bope. “Specifically for my family, Mammoth Solar also allows the next generations of Bopes to stay on our family’s farm.”
“Celebrating Mammoth North’s commercial operations with our community partners, elected representatives, and, of course, Secretary Rosenberg validates that rural Indiana is the best place to energize the next wave of power-hungry, job-creating businesses in America,” said Nick Cohen, president and CEO of Doral Renewables. “Starting with a farmer and one field near a discovered pile of Wooly Mammoth bones, the project quickly morphed into 75 farm fields representing hundreds of people. With animals and new food crops, the project is bringing back heritage farming and preserving the farms for future generations. And, every county resident gets the benefit of millions of dollars in our tax and economic payments.
“Indiana continues to chart the path forward toward the future economy, ranking among the top states for new clean energy under development thanks to the commitment and partnership of companies like Doral Renewables,” said Gov. Eric Holcomb in a video appearance. “This mammoth-sized project is not only creating new jobs and new opportunities across northwest Indiana, but it is elevating our state and showcasing Hoosier innovation on the world’s stage.”
“Doral Renewable’s Mammoth Solar development is the perfect example of how Hoosiers are collaborating to solve global challenges,” said Sec. Rosenberg. “The story of Mammoth Solar illustrates how Indiana is leading the nation in sustainable energy solutions, manufacturing the energy transition and pushing the envelope in terms of forward-thinking business development solutions. Our continued partnership with Doral, the northwest Indiana community and project stakeholders is creating more opportunities for Hoosier businesses and residents alike, and I’m confident the impact of this investment will only continue to grow for years to come.”
The project’s partners emphasized its role in supplying clean, renewable power to the grid while relying on American labor and materials for its construction. “We’re immensely proud to partner with leading developer Doral Renewables on the Mammoth Solar Project here in Indiana using American-made components,” said Dan Shugar, founder and CEO of Nextracker, the project’s tracker manufacturer. "The system is designed for dual use so local farmers can raise livestock and harvest lower-cost clean power on the same farm.”
"As a solar contractor, our focus is on ensuring that all project stakeholders receive the maximum benefit that renewable energy can deliver to communities," added George Hershman, CEO of SOLV Energy, the project’s Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) provider. "Partnering with Doral on Mammoth North created job training and learning opportunities for area workers and K-12 students and resulted in long-term revenue sources that will support local services and landowners for years to come."
About Doral Renewables: Doral Renewables is a Philadelphia-based renewable energy developer, owner, and operator of renewable energy assets, operating all over the United States. It has a solar and storage development portfolio of over 13 GW, including 1.3 GW under construction, and is operating in 18 states and across ten electricity markets. Doral Renewables has over $2.5 billion in long-term wholesale power purchase agreements with U.S. customers. The company has a global management and leadership that includes the Doral Group (TASE: DORL), Migdal Group (TASE: MGDL), and Clean Air Generation, with further financial backing from Apollo Global Management (NYSE: APO).
About Doral Group: Doral Group is a global renewable energy leader, holding hundreds of long-term revenue-generating renewable energy assets. Doral Group is a publicly traded company on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange in Israel and is active, inter alia, in Israel, Europe, and the United States. Doral Group is also emerging as a worldwide leader in the field of solar + storage solutions. Its global project backlog is about 17.1 GW (DC) of solar projects and 14.6 GWh of storage.
Additional information about Mammoth Solar:
Mammoth North Solar is the first phase of the Mammoth Solar project. Mammoth North is estimated to generate 400 MW of energy and spreads over 4,500* acres in Starke County. Out of the overall acreage footprint of this project, approximately 20% is tillable acres that will have solar panels installed on, while the other 80% remains green and/or used for vegetation. This project is expected to generate enough clean energy for approximately 75,0000 households. Mammoth North begun in March 2022, and in June Doral Renewables announced the company has achieved a financial closing for the project’s construction. Mammoth North is expected to become operational in 2024.
Mammoth South Solar is the second phase of the Mammoth Solar project. Mammoth South is estimated to generate 300 MW of energy and spreads over 3,500* acres in Pulaski County. Out of the overall acreage footprint of this project, approximately 20% is tillable that will have solar panels installed on top, while the remaining 80% remains green and/or used for vegetation. This project is expected to generate enough clean energy for approximately 65,0000 households. Mammoth South has executed a long-term power purchase agreement (PPA) with AEP Energy, a subsidiary of American Electric Power and one of the largest electric energy wholesale and retail suppliers in the U.S. Mammoth South was launched in November 2022.
Mammoth Central Solar is the third phase of the Mammoth Solar project. Mammoth Central, also the largest phase of the project, is estimated to generate 600 MW of energy and spreads over 5,500* acres in Pulaski County. Out of the overall acreage footprint of this project, approximately 20% is tillable and will have solar panels installed on top, while the remaining 80% remains green and/or used for vegetation. This project is expected to generate enough clean energy for approximately 135,000 households. Mammoth Central is one of Doral Renewables’ more advanced projects. Doral Renewables has secured a power purchase agreement for all 600 MW. 300 MW of the electricity produced by the Mammoth Central solar farm would be sold to AEP Energy. The additional 300 MW would be sold to Bank of America, PNC Bank, CVS Health and Dietz and Watson, all via Constellation Energy.
Today, Mammoth has over 65 families, who lease their land to Doral Renewables as part of this project. Upon the decommissioning of the project, the landowners receive their land back and can utilize it as they see fit.
Learn more about Doral projects at https://doral-llc.com/ourprojects/
*Pulaski County has 231,880 acres of land in farms (2017 Census of Agriculture) which is a 7 percent increase from 2012.
In Pulaski County, the solar projects will largely run along the electric transmission lines in Beaver, Jefferson and Rich Grove Townships.