MC Power Companies, the City of Trenton/Trenton Municipal Utilities and the Missouri Public Energy Pool have been working for over a year to initiate the development of a utility scale solar generating facility in Trenton and on Tuesday, another milestone in the project was completed with the sale of 16 acres from the City of Trenton/TMU to MC Power.
The property is at the north edge of the city adjacent to the transfer station currently under construction in the city of Trenton’s industrial park area.
The bulk of construction on the solar farm is expected to start in mid-July. A groundbreaking is scheduled for July 8. More details on the groundbreaking event will be publicized later.
“MC Power Companies would like to thank all of the communities of MoPEP for being great advocates for these projects,” CEO Tony Ross said.
MC Power has already completed construction of two facilities, with the project at Trenton being the third. Ross said that all members of the project team have collaborated to bring this innovative project that will provide predictable energy generation, increase community development and help the environment through clean energy production to Trenton, Missouri.
“The leadership and dedication displayed by the Project Team has built the foundation for growth in an area of promise in Trenton,” said Loren Williamson, senior vice president of project development for MC Power Companies. “This solar farm will show that Trenton is forward-thinking and responsible for the commitment in sustainability All the hard work from the MoPEP pool, Trenton Municipal Utilities, Chad Davis, Ralph Boots and the City of Trenton were all instrumental in getting this project to where it is today.”
TMU Utility Director and MoPEP Committee Chairman Chad Davis said TMU saw the project “as an opportunity to participate with the MoPEP members in a project that brings a renewable energy source to Trenton while also providing TMU the opportunity to reduce some costs on transmission for the energy purchased by TMU since the facility will connect directly to TMU.”
Boots said the project “also benefits Trenton as a whole as it serves as a building block allowing TMU to extend the electric distribution system in a cost effective manner to property owned by the city that is the focus of future development.”
All of the power generated by the facility will be consumed by the citizens and businesses of Trenton and also shared with MoPEP. Trenton is an original member of MoPEP and is one of 35 Missouri communities who continue to be members of this group.
At slightly over 3.29 megawatts, the solar farm will be one of the largest solar power plants in the state and the third such project for MoPEP after completing similar projects with MC Power Companies at Butler and Macon. Like many municipalities in Missouri, Trenton has long owned its electric utility and is a member of the Missouri Joint Municipal Electric Utility Commission, which is a member of the Missouri Public Utility Alliance.
MC Power, TMU, MPUA, MJMEUC, MoPEP and the city of Trenton have worked through thousands of complex details to bring this renewable energy production facility to north central Missouri. With 11,160 solar panels and state-of-the-art components will convert solar energy to match the current voltage on the Trenton power grid.
The citizens of Trenton and MoPEP will enjoy predictable power production costs and low maintenance costs for at least 25 years.
The estimated production from the farm will equal the consumption of approximately 375 average-sized homes in Trenton for a year. Over 25 years, carbon emissions reduction is over 118,000 tons of CO2, which is equivalent to planting over 2,751,000 trees.
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