The St Landry Parish Council has approved the parish’s first solar farm project. Officials say construction will begin next year on a 900-acre site in a rural area north of Opelousas. Lightsource BP development manager Jack Steele says it is expected to be operational by end of 2024. He says solar power is great for the environment and an effective way to produce energy.
“It does offset a very sizeable amount of CO2 and greenhouses and that’s enough energy to power thousands and thousands of homes,” said Steele.
Steele says Louisiana has lots of flat agricultural land ideal for installing solar panels. The company already has a large solar farm near New Roads in Pointe Coupee Parish.
“There’s transmission capacity in the state because of all the industry, especially in southern Louisiana, so there’s a lot of transmission lines that have been built up over the years to support that industry,” said Steele.
Steele says the panels will be high enough off the ground that sheep and cattle can graze beneath them. He says the company tries to do as much as possible to use native grasses and increase biodiversity.
“One of the biggest things we’re looking for is planting seed mixes that will enhance pollinator habitat, so create larger more healthy habitats for bees,” said Steele.
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