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.

 

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.

 

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.