Swift Current Energy has secured a 20-year offtake deal with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority for the 402MW Mineral Basin solar project.

Mineral Basin Solar will be built on reclaimed coal mine sites in Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, US, and is the only project outside New York State.

Expected to become operational in the second half of 2026, it is one of the largest solar plants to be located on former mining land.

The company will act as the long-term owner and operator of the project.

Swift Current Energy co-founder and CEO Eric Lammers stated: “Clearfield County and Goshen and Girard townships have contributed to the energy economy in the form of coal mining for generations.

“The development, construction and operation of the Mineral Basin Solar project will continue the community’s leadership in energy production and show how former mine sites can be innovatively repurposed at scale for a new and restorative purpose in the nation’s energy landscape.”

During construction, the Mineral Basin project will create 450 full-time jobs. It is also expected to add millions of dollars to the local economy.

The solar plant will avoid GHG emissions equivalent to the removal of 110,000 gas-powered cars from the roads every year.

The project was selected as part of New York’s solicitation, which was completed in October 2023. Three offshore wind farms and 22 land-based renewables facilities totalling 6.4GW were selected in the solicitation.

Other major offshore wind projects selected included the 1.4GW Attentive Energy One, the 1.3GW Community Offshore Wind and the 1.3GW Excelsior Wind. Together these wind projects have a total capacity of 4GW.