First project at 1.3 GW Indiana solar complex nears launch

Clean energy developer Doral Renewables is anticipating commercial operation of its 400-MW Mammoth North Solar project, the first phase of the 1.3-GW Mammoth Solar complex in Indiana. The Mammoth North Solar project will soon become the largest operating solar facility in Indiana and has the potential to provide sustainable energy to 75,000 homes annually.

Source: Doral Renewables

The ribbon-cutting ceremony was attended by Indiana Secretary of Commerce David Rosenberg, landowners, representatives from SOLV Energy, Nextracker, the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), the American Clean Power Association (ACP), and other industry representatives and project stakeholders.

“By celebrating Mammoth North’s commercial operations with our community partners, elected officials and, of course, Secretary Rosenberg, we are affirming that rural Indiana is the best place to fuel the next wave of power-hungry, job-creating businesses in America,” said Nick Cohen, president and CEO of Doral Renewables. “What started as a farmer and a single field near a discovered pile of woolly mammoth bones quickly grew into 75 fields representing hundreds of people. Through animals and new food crops, the project is restoring an agricultural heritage and preserving farms for future generations. And every county resident benefits from millions of dollars in our tax dollars and economic payments.”

Over 1,500 sheep are involved in vegetation management on the project site and are managed by local farmer Billy Bope.

“The dual-use capabilities that Mammoth Solar offers are a win-win scenario. We’re able to diversify our farming practices by raising livestock, which allows us to maintain the vegetation levels that Mammoth North needs,” Bope said. “For my family in particular, Mammoth Solar also allows future generations of Bopes to remain on our family farm.”

The project partners emphasized its role in bringing clean, renewable energy to the grid while utilizing American labor and materials for its implementation.

“We are extremely proud to partner with leading developer Doral Renewables on the Mammoth Solar project here in Indiana, using American-made components,” said Dan Shugar, founder and CEO of Nextracker, the project’s tracker manufacturer. “The system is designed for dual-use, allowing local farmers to raise livestock and harvest cheaper, clean energy on the same farm.” “As a solar contractor, we are focused on ensuring that all project stakeholders receive the maximum benefits that renewable energy can bring to communities,” added George Hershman, CEO of SOLV Energy, the project’s engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) provider. “The partnership with Doral on Mammoth North has created job training and educational opportunities for local workers and K-12 students and has resulted in long-term revenue streams that will support local services and landowners for years to come.”

A message from Doral Renewables