O2 emc, an independent power producer based in North Carolina, hosted an Early Construction Tour of its 20-megawatt solar project, Montgomery Solar Farm, in Biscoe, North Carolina. U.S. Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) spoke in favor of renewable energy at the event, along with Republican State Senators Jerry Tillman and Stan Bingham.
Â
Utilities partnering with third-party renewable energy providers benefit North Carolina in the long term, Sen. Burr said during the tour. Affordably-priced energy will attract additional jobs and investment to the state, Burr said. That’s because “energy cost is the number one contributor to manufacturing costs today globally,” he said.
Â
The 120-acre solar farm east of Charlotte is expected to generate 40,000 megawatt hours of electricity each year starting in November, said Joel Olsen, co-founder of O2 Energies.