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Solar power can reduce reliance on polluting, non-renewable fuels.
Photo Credit: rPlus Energies
A huge new solar-and-battery facility has started feeding electricity into Utah’s grid. The Green River Energy Center comes online with almost 1 million panels and hundreds of Tesla Megapacks spread across the site.
According to Electrek, the Green River Energy Center, a $1.1 billion project in Emery County, can produce 400 megawatts of solar power and store another 400 megawatts across 1,600 megawatt-hours of batteries. rPlus Energies said the facility entered commercial service after a June 22 commissioning ceremony.
Its hardware footprint is enormous: 993,492 solar panels and 484 Tesla Megapacks. That buildout makes it the biggest solar-plus-storage project anywhere in PacifiCorp’s six-state service area, while allowing daytime electricity to be saved for later use.
The opening also fits into a broader state push. Electrek reported that Utah created Operation Gigawatt in 2024 to double energy production within 10 years as power demand climbs.
Solar power can reduce reliance on polluting, non-renewable fuels during the day, while batteries can deliver stored electricity to the grid when demand rises in the evening. That can support grid reliability, ease strain during heat waves, and potentially help utilities avoid some of the most expensive power purchases.
Beyond the electricity it supplies, the development is expected to deliver more than $55 million in property taxes for schools and other public services, according to rPlus Energies, Electrek reported. The construction phase also supported hundreds of jobs, including positions filled by local contractors.
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Project partners committed $375,000 in scholarships for local students pursuing careers in the region’s workforce and energy industries, as well as a $45,000 donation to the Ferron Fire Department. While Utah’s broader energy plan does not replace existing fossil fuel plants, adding more renewable power and storage can help cut planet-warming pollution and improve air quality.
rPlus Energies is describing the launch as a major milestone for Utah’s power system and for large-scale battery-backed solar in the West.
Project partners also pointed to the expected tax revenue, local jobs, scholarship funding, and support for emergency services near the site.
Utah’s Operation Gigawatt is expected to rely mostly on advanced nuclear and geothermal energy, along with a mix of renewable and battery storage facilities, to keep pace with rising electricity demand.
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