Mowata Solar | 172MW in Louisiana
About the Mowata Solar project
Lightsource bp is in the process of developing a solar farm in Acadia Parish. The privately funded $237 million clean energy project will deliver electricity into the local grid, helping with Louisiana’s energy independence and energy security.
172MWdc
/150MWac of home-grown renewable energy, enough to power 30,000 homes
227,000 metric tons
carbon emissions abated each year for healthier air
250-350
jobs created during construction, supporting domestic supply chains
30,155
homes powered with clean energy (equivalent)
$237 million
private capital investment in infrastructure for Louisiana's energy security and independence
Site selection & preliminary design
Stakeholder outreach
Permitting & environmental studies
Land management & biodiversity planning
Final engineering, financing & construction
Operation & maintenance
Decommissioning & recycling
Solar farm basics: What, why and how?
Solar farms generate enough home-grown electricity to power thousands of homes, with no carbon emissions, for healthier air. Solar helps diversify our country’s energy mix, adding resilience and security to America’s energy infrastructure, reducing our dependence on foreign energy sources while driving down electricity costs.
In solar farms, rows of solar panels produce electricity, which flows into the local electric grid, like any other kind of electric plant– powering places like homes, businesses, schools and hospitals.
Solar panels are mounted on racking that sits on posts – those posts take up less than 5% of the land. This leaves significant open space under the panels, in the rows and in buffer areas to plant site-specific grasses and other vegetation with a goal of increasing biodiversity in the first 5 years of operation. We also integrate agriculture where practical.
The racking is equipped with smart solar trackers that slowly and quietly rotate throughout the day, following the sun to maximize solar energy production. These smart trackers serve other important purposes, too – they help protect solar panels from hailstorms, high winds, and buildup of snow on solar panels.
Community dialogue – we want to be a good neighbor
A critical step in all of our projects is soliciting community feedback to help shape our final plans. We welcome your questions and comments to ensure that our Mowata Solar farm is a great project for your community.
We have a dedicated Community Relations team that’s here to answer your questions and ensure that Lightsource bp is an active member in your community. To connect with a Community Relations Manager please email USCommunityRelations@lightsourcebp.com.
If you are a member of the media, please visit our Press Center.
It’s so much more than a solar farm
A solar farm is so much more than you think. It can boost biodiversity on the land. It can provide new tax revenue to your community. It’s a new year-round type of harvest for your neighbor farmers that helps them keep their land for future generations.
Long-term benefits
In addition to generating affordable, renewable energy for Louisiana’s electrical grid, development of the land with American-made solar energy has several additional long-term benefits, including:
- Rest and regeneration of the land during the project’s life, improving soil health and preserving it for future use.
- Healthy groundcover under and around the panels that boosts local biodiversity, creating a stable, long-term home for plants, pollinators, birds and other wildlife.
- Opportunity for integrated agriculture such as sheep grazing or bee keeping.
- Rural resilience through continued local ownership of the land.
- Energy security and independence from foreign sources of fuel.
- Healthier air quality by generating electricity with no polluting carbon dioxide emissions.
Economic growth for the community
The Mowata Solar project represents a $237+ million capital investment into home-grown, affordable energy for Louisiana, using private funding. This opens many doors for economic growth, including:
- Throughout the life of the project, millions in new tax revenue will be generated, benefitting local school systems and many other community public services – without an increase in taxes to local residents.
- 250-350 jobs will be created during peak construction of the project, prioritizing the hiring of local subcontractors and local labor.
- Lightsource bp is committed to supporting philanthropic activities and charitable donations to local organizations.
Our Responsible Solar approach
Lightsource bp has a deep commitment to delivering safe, clean and affordable energy, as well as maximizing the environmental sustainability and positive social impacts of each of our projects. We call this approach Responsible Solar. We are intentional with every detail, from the fencing we choose to the vegetation we plant. We want our Mowata Solar farm to be a great project for the local community. In developing the project, we are implementing our best practices for solar farm development, including the below:
Environment and aesthetics
- Planting new trees and other vegetation between the solar panels and public view where needed for screening and to provide habitat for local wildlife.
- Designing setbacks from nearby property lines and public roads.
- Installing an agricultural game style fence, consistent with the local aesthetic of the area, around the project as opposed to industry-standard chain link fencing.
- Planting vegetation under and around the solar panels, with a seed mix customized for the local area in order to increase biodiversity and improve soil health.
Upkeep and decommissioning
- Making sure appropriate drainage and traffic mitigation are provided during construction.
- Budgeting for consistent maintenance and upkeep of the facility.
- Committing to recycling all solar panels: Lightsource bp has a zero landfill policy for solar panels.
- Preparing a full decommissioning plan to ensure that the project will be removed at the end of its life.
Responsible Solar Stories
Find out more about our Responsible Solar approach in action.
Habitat creation and preservation in Louisiana
Case study from Prairie Ronde Solar in St. Landry Parish
Information and resources
We’ve put together a collection of resources for anyone who’d like to know more about utility-scale solar farms, or solar energy in general.
Solar farm FAQs
We’ve put together a list of the most commonly asked questions, and their answers.
Solar energy basics
National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL)
Lightsource bp educational materials
Solar panel safety and recycling
