Louisiana’s state utility regulator has approved a near-$300 million solar farm to be built on former sugarcane fields in Iberville Parish, marking a significant step in the transition of agricultural land toward renewable energy generation in the region, The Advocate reported.
The Louisiana Public Service Commission cleared the project, named Cypress Harvest Solar, which will be owned and operated by Entergy Louisiana. The facility will be located on roughly 1,600 acres of former sugarcane farmland approximately five miles southwest of Plaquemine, between Milly Plantation and Derick Road near Belleview Drive. Once complete, it would be the first and only solar farm in Iberville Parish.
The project carries a total cost of approximately $297 million and is designed to generate 200 megawatts of clean energy, sufficient to power around 30,000 Louisiana homes annually. The electricity generated will be distributed across Entergy’s statewide ratepayer base as part of the company’s broader strategy to strengthen grid resiliency and expand its renewable energy portfolio.
Entergy representative Kristin Zatta, speaking before Iberville’s Parish Council, said solar is central to the company’s efforts to make clean energy accessible across the region. She also confirmed that the land, previously owned by two family farming operations — EJ Gay Planting and A. Wilbert’s Sons — was not leased out to tenants, meaning no leases were terminated and no workers displaced as a result of the land sale.
At its construction peak, the project is expected to create 201 jobs, with four permanent full-time positions once the facility is operational. It is estimated to generate $7.8 million in sales tax revenue during construction and $2.9 million in annual property tax thereafter. Entergy’s lease with the private landowners extends for up to 40 years, and the company plans to add a battery storage system to the site, which already houses an existing high-voltage substation.
Project Manager David Wilcox said construction would largely be funded through agreements with large industrial and commercial customers who purchase the power generated in exchange for renewable energy credits, a structure intended to limit the cost burden passed on to ordinary ratepayers.
District 3 Public Service Commissioner Davante Lewis noted that natural gas currently accounts for approximately 73 per cent of Louisiana’s energy generation. While the 200 megawatt facility would not dramatically shift that balance, he described it as a meaningful improvement to the state’s grid and a step toward greater diversification, particularly in times of peak demand or natural disaster.
If permitting, contracting, and engineering processes proceed on schedule, Entergy plans to break ground at the Cypress Harvest site in September 2026, with full operations targeted for September 2028. The company will hold a public information meeting for Iberville residents on April 28 at the Carl F. Grant Civic Center in Plaquemine from 5 to 6:30 p.m.
Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.


© Copyright 2026 JK India eAgriTech Ltd.

source