Many gathered north of Wellington on Tuesday afternoon for the commissioning ceremony of Graphite Solar. The solar farm is now fully operational and generates enough to power approximately 20,000 homes. There are over 257,000 solar modules that have been installed on the property with a 1.5 mile long transmission line. In total, 273,800 construction man hours were necessary to complete the project.
Luigi Resta, President and CEO of rPlus Energies, kicked off the celebration with his excitement for a job well done. He explained that one of the company’s focuses was to use local contractors and keep jobs in the community.
Commissioner Tony Martines then spoke on the importance of being agile as a county. “We are still an energy community,” began Martines. He stated that he is open to any and all forms of energy that would benefit the county. While he is not giving up on coal, Graphite Solar and other solar farms will help aid the county financially.
Merlin Ruston, Community Manager of PacifiCorp, next explained that Graphite Solar is proof that Carbon and Emery counties will be energy hubs for the future. The farm will also help Utah maintain its low power rates.
The President of Sundt Renewables, Tom Dodson, followed by thanking all of the local partners in the community that helped make the project possible. Scott Bruno, CEO of Bodec, reiterated the fact that Graphite Solar was built with the sweat of Carbon County.
The project has also allowed for the Local First Scholarship, which is aimed at helping locals further their education here in the county. This year, $75,000 was given to the scholarship, and Greg Dart, Associate Vice President of Utah State University Eastern, voiced his appreciation for the scholarship.
Gardner Company President Brady Southwick deemed the project a great success and said he is anxious to do more. Finally, Ben Tillar, the Vice President of Investments at Greenbacker Capital, mentioned that Graphite Solar is the company’s largest project to date. Many helped Graphite Solar get to this point, and all were thanked for their efforts to bring the project to completion.
