Santa Fe company asks N.C. to approve solar project
Nov 04, 2012 (Menafn - The Santa Fe New Mexican - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) --A Santa Fe company has asked the state government in North Carolina to approve plans for a large solar power generation project on private land there.
Amenergy Inc. has proposed installation of 90,500 solar panels on six tracts of land to produce up to 21.4 megawatts of power at the Ridgecrest Conference Center near Asheville. Power generated by the project will be sold to Progress Energy Carolinas, the region's electricity provider.
"It's a project we've been developing for about two years, and it's finally coming into the spotlight," said Bill Oglesby, managing partner. He said contracts for the deal will be signed soon.
Amenergy is headquartered in Santa Fe but also has an office in Albuquerque. It was formed in 2009 when two solar-installation companies merged, Southwest Solar Products and Amethyst Electric. Recent projects it worked on include planning for a municipal solar array in Corrales.
Ogelsby said the company also is considering a solar project at the Glorieta Baptist Conference Center, a property north of Santa Fe that also is owned by Lifeway Christian Resources, the same company as owns the Ridgecrest center. The New Mexico facility might undergo an ownership change soon, so the solar project is on hold for now, he said.
Even though Amenergy will hire local installers in North Carolina, the 64 million project will likely lead to job creation in Santa Fe. The company has about 15 employees now, according to Oglesby, and will be able to expand significantly after the project begins.
Officials in North Carolina might hold public hearings on the project as it moves through the local permitting process. It would rival the state's largest existing solar installations.
"This project is contributing to carbon footprint reduction on the national level," he said. "But we also play a big role in that on the local level with each and every project that we execute."
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