Illinois to Get ‘Largest Solar Project East of the Mississippi’

Construction is underway on an 800-megawatt solar project in southern Illinois, which developer Swift Current Energy describes as the largest U.S. solar project east of the Mississippi River.

Located 30 miles west of Springfield, Double Black Diamond Solar is said to be capable of powering about 100,000 homes annually and could reduce regional carbon dioxide emissions by approximately a million tons a year.

On Monday, plans for a separate, $400 million solar cell facility in Colorado were halted, two months after Secretary of State Antony Blinken touted the project as an example of world-leading foreign investment.

Renewable energy generated by Double Black Diamond Solar is set to be used to power several facilities in Illinois, including Chicago O’Hare International Airport and Loyola University Chicago.

“We are proud to be home to one of the largest clean energy projects in the nation. The Double Black Diamond Solar project brings significant economic benefits to our community, contributing $100 million in tax revenue and supporting hundreds of jobs. This project is a win for both our community and the environment,” Andy Van Meter, the chair of the Sangamon County Board, said in a statement.

Eric Lammers, the CEO and co-founder of Swift Current Energy, said, “Double Black Diamond Solar is a transformative project, not only for our team, but also the American workers it is employing, the massive amount of emissions-free energy it will produce, and the stable revenue it will provide for the communities in Sangamon and Morgan counties.”

The project is slated to reach commercial operations by early 2025.

Newsweek has contacted Swift Current Energy for comment via email outside standard working hours.

A spokesperson for the Meyer Burger, the Swiss firm behind the scrapped Colorado solar project, told Newsweek on Wednesday: “Our solar cell manufacturing facility in Colorado Springs, Colorado, has been put on hold due to an unexpected negative outcome with the financing.”

“One of the key factors was increasing U.S. construction costs. Meyer Burger remains committed to solar manufacturing in the U.S.—for now at our site in Goodyear, Arizona, where we produce solar modules,” the spokesperson said.

According to the Solar Energy Industries Association, there are now more than 5 million solar installations in the U.S.

In May, Newsweek mapped some of the country’s largest solar projects. Significant builds included these:

• Copper Mountain Solar Facility, Nevada
• Edwards & Sanborn Solar and Storage Project, California
• Solar Star, California
• Topaz Solar Farm, California
• Desert Sunlight Solar Farm, California

Do you have a story we should be covering? Do you have any questions about construction projects in your state? Contact LiveNews@newsweek.com.