EDP Renewables North America (EDPR NA) has launched the Ragsdale solar park in Madison County in the US state of Mississippi – a significant development in the region’s renewable energy landscape.
The 100MW project, operational since late in the fourth quarter of 2024, will supply power to Entergy Mississippi’s transmission system.
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Signal Energy and Beta Engineering provided the high-voltage engineering, procurement and construction services to connect Ragsdale to the grid.
Amazon has secured the full 100MW capacity of the project through a 15-year power purchase agreement.
The development of Ragsdale by Acadian Renewable Energy began in 2016, a joint venture between SunChase Power and Eolian.
EDPR NA acquired the project in early 2022 and completed its development.
The solar park is expected to power 15,700 Mississippi homes annually and provide substantial economic benefits to the local community.
EDPR NA CEO Sandhya Ganapathy stated: “Ragsdale signifies EDP Renewables’ ongoing commitment to Mississippi, its communities and local businesses. The opportunity to develop utility-scale solar and contract directly with customers like Amazon, who are also committed to expanding their own presence in Mississippi, has been invaluable.
“We are proud to aid the state’s commercial and industrial growth with homegrown energy solutions.”
Ragsdale solar park will contribute $34.6m in taxes over its lifetime, benefiting local schools, roads and essential services.
$15m will be paid to local landowners leasing their land for the solar infrastructure.
The project employed 100 people during construction and will maintain up to three full-time positions for ongoing operations and maintenance.
Local economic activity is anticipated to increase due to the project, with $2m already spent at nearby restaurants, hotels and retailers.
Environmentally, the solar park will save more than 127 million gallons of water annually, which would otherwise be required by conventional energy generation methods.
EDP Renewables has committed to a net zero future, with plans to recycle 120 tonnes of solar panels through the Close the Loop Programme with SOLARCYCLE.
The project solidifies EDP Renewables’ role in Mississippi’s renewable energy market, following its Pearl River solar park, which has a capacity of 175MW and powers 26,000 homes.
