The ‘greening of the grid’ is here and now! Homer Electric’s solar plans will be burley enough to meet the power needs of nearly 9,000 homes on the Peninsula.
The solar farm could begin operating in late 2027, Miller said. Read the ADN story here!
It will double the renewable power produced by the utility, to 24% of its overall generation, said Keriann Baker, the utility’s chief strategy officer.
Along with new plans by the utility to replace a gas-generation unit with a more efficient turbine, the solar farm will reduce the natural gas used by Homer Electric by more than 15%, Baker said. The new gas turbine could also be up and running as early as late 2027.
The utility’s reduced dependence on natural gas will help conserve Cook Inlet natural gas needed across Southcentral Alaska, she said.