Southern Power brings Wyoming’s first solar facility online

Wyoming gained its first solar facility this week, and Southern Power its 30th, with the beginning of operations at the 150 MW South Cheyenne Solar Facility in Laramie County.

While Southern Power’s portfolio stretches from coast to coast, this facility marked a new foray for it on the West Coast, made possible by the site’s acquisition from Qcells USA Corp. in September 2023. At that time, Qcells provided Southern with a full renewable value chain and turnkey services on the project and continued on as project developer, module manufacturer, and engineering procurement construction (EPC) provider of the site.

Now, South Cheyenne’s addition brings South Power’s solar portfolio to more than 2,740 MW, a sizable chunk of the company’s total 5,280 MW renewable fleet.

“We are thrilled to announce that South Cheyenne Solar has reached commercial operation, marking a significant milestone for our team and all who have worked tirelessly on this project, and we are equally excited to see our footprint expand with our first operational site in Wyoming,” Robin Boren, Southern Power president, said. “This facility showcases our commitment to the development of solar energy and is an excellent addition to our growing renewable fleet.”

Under a 20-year power purchase agreement with Cheyenne Light, Fuel and Power, a subsidiary of Black Hills Energy, electricity and associated renewable energy credits will be sold and provided for an unnamed data center customer.