Lancaster Solar Plant Surges to Life

The Western Antelope Dry Ranch solar plant in Lancaster is now producing enough renewable energy to power more than 1,800 homes, a significant step in the city’s initiative to become the first in the nation to produce enough clean energy to meet its electricity needs. The plant became fully operational in early December, the city said Friday in a press release. It will continue to generate 10 megawatts of renewable energy annually for the next 20 years in accordance with a power purchase agreement established in 2015 between the city and sPower, an independent energy firm. Energy from Dry Ranch will benefit area residents and businesses enrolled in the Lancaster Choice Energy program. The primary goal of the endeavor is to generate enough renewable energy to satisfy the city’s power needs. “The completion of sPower’s first renewable energy project is truly a momentous milestone,” Mayor R. Rex Parris said in a prepared statement. “SPower continues to be an innovative partner in Lancaster’s efforts to become a zero-net energy city.” SPower, headquartered in Salt Lake City, broke ground on the facility three months ago and so far has funneled more than $1.6 billion into renewal energy project in Lancaster. In October, the company announced it had secured $790 million in capital commitments to finance nine more solar projects in Lancaster. In total, the new facilities are expected to generate roughly 340 megawatts of renewable energy, according to sPower’s website.