AL Solar A facility goes online in Chambers County, Alabama

Community and business leaders, including representatives from Walmart, Alabama Power, and Clenera, gathered recently at the 72-megawatt AL Solar A project in Chambers County, Alabama, to celebrate its launch.

Houston-based Centaurus Renewable Energy owns the facility. Alabama Power has a long-term power-purchase agreement (PPA) with Centaurus Renewable Energy to receive all the energy and environmental attributes from the project, which it can then use for its own customers or resell to others.

Most of the Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) generated by the facility will serve Walmart through a long-term contract. Alabama Power is marketing the remaining energy and renewable energy attributes to other customers.

“Sourcing renewable energy from the AL Solar A project plays a crucially important role in providing power for Walmart facilities throughout Alabama,” Steve Chriss, director of Energy and Strategy Analysis for Walmart, said. “The energy procured from AL Solar A will significantly contribute to Walmart’s sustainability goals and serve as a benchmark for our ongoing renewable energy efforts.”

Construction of the facility began in February 2017 and was completed by the end of last year. The project created approximately 450 jobs during construction.

The $140 million facility sits on 1,100 acres and is comprised of more than 338,000 solar panels that automatically track the sun.