DE Shaw Renewable Investments and Entergy New Orleans have broken ground on two solar farms totalling 70MW in Louisiana.
The Iris project is located on 199 hectares in Washington Parish and St James on 88 hectares in the parish of the same name.
Both developments are expected to reach commercial operation in mid-2021 and are expected to power more than 13,000 homes each year.
Entergy New Orleans has entered into 20-year power purchase agreements with the facilities.
Iris and St James are expected to create up to 150 jobs and 100 jobs respectively during the construction phase.
Financing for the construction and operation of the projects was provided by a syndicate of lenders, including Societe Generale as coordinating lead arranger and CIBC and Truist Bank as joint lead arrangers.
The projects were initiated and initially developed by Acadian Renewable Energy, a joint venture among affiliates of SunChase Power and MAP Renewable Energy.
MAP Renewable Energy is a minority owner of the projects.
DE Shaw chief development officer Hy Martin said: “Our team is pleased to work with Entergy New Orleans and all of our project partners to bring cost-effective renewable energy to Louisiana residents for years to come.
“We’re proud of the team and partners that came together to start construction on this large set of solar projects that will bring jobs, tax revenue, and broader economic activity to local communities throughout the state.”
Entergy New Orleans president and chief executive David Ellis said: “Our generating portfolio is among the cleanest in the nation and these solar projects are part of our ongoing commitment to delivering clean, reliable, and safe energy.
“These two new solar resources in combination with our portfolio will substantially increase the composition of energy supplied to our customers from renewable resources.”