Mowata Solar | 172MW in Louisiana
About the Mowata Solar project
Lightsource bp is in the process of developing the Mowata Solar farm in Acadia Parish. We are planning to build, own and operate the privately funded $237 million clean energy project that will deliver electricity into the local grid, helping with Louisiana’s energy independence and energy security.
172MWdc
/150MWac of home-grown renewable energy
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
Why solar?
Solar is a passive form of technology, generating emissions-free electricity that adds security to our country’s energy mix, along with independence from foreign sources. This, combined with its ability to bring our country’s electricity costs down makes it an ideal energy source for the US.
- Solar farms are quiet, clean neighbors. They don’t emit any noise beyond the site boundaries and have a low profile that can be designed with screening to limit project visibility from neighbors’ residences and nearby roads.
- With a long-term land management plan, studies have shown that solar farms can meaningfully increase wildlife populations and biodiversity.
- Solar farms can help strengthen rural economies by creating local jobs, contributing significant annual revenue for local governments, providing dependable revenue to landowners in order to supplement farm income, and bringing multimillion dollar annual operations budgets that are primarily spent in the region.
Community dialogue – we want to be a good neighbor
At Lightsource bp, we not only develop solar projects. We own and operate them, making us a committed long-term partner in Acadia Parish.
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.
It’s so much more than a solar farm
A solar farm is so much more than you think. It’s a jobs farm. It’s a biodiversity farm. It’s an educational farm for local schools. 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, clean energy for Louisiana’s electrical grid, development of the land with home-grown 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 will make a $237+ million capital investment into the community, 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 pay attention to every detail, from the fencing we choose to the vegetation we plant. As the project owner and operator, 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.
- 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.
Monarch butterflies find crucial habitat at Conway Solar
Learn about our partnership with the Arkansas Monarch Conservation Partnership
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
Get in touch
If you’d like to find out more about this project, email USCommunityRelations@lightsourcebp.com, or fill out the form below. We aim to get back to you within five working days.
