Oxbow Solar | 345MW in Louisiana
345MWdc
/300MWac of clean, locally generated electricity
400
jobs created during construction, the majority local workers
458,000
metric tons of CO2 emissions reduced every year, which is equivalent to emissions from about 100,000 fuel-burning cars
$394 million
investment of private capital into energy infrastructure for Louisiana, helping increase the state’s energy security
$30 million
dollars to Pointe Coupee Parish government agencies in revenue over the next 35 years
Site Selection & preliminary design
Stakeholder outreach
Permitting & environmental studies
Land management & biodiversity planning
Final engineering, financing & construction
Ownership transfer to JERA Nex
Continued operations & maintenance by Lightsource bp
About the Oxbow solar project
Lightsource bp developed, financed and constructed the largest solar farm in Louisiana, now in commercial operation. In mid-2024, JERA Nex assumed ownership of the facility. Lightsource bp will continue to provide asset management and O&M services for the privately funded 345-megawatt dc Oxbow solar farm in Pointe Coupee Parish.
The project will do more than generate affordable, clean energy and reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions. Construction provided 400 jobs over two years, with most workers being local labor. It will also provide a more than $30 million dollar boost to Pointe Coupee Parish government agencies in revenue over the next 35 years without a tax increase on its citizens, and have an indirect economic impact of over $200 million, according to a study by the Baton Rouge Area Chamber.
Through corporate power purchase agreements, the Oxbow Solar project will help power McDonald’s and eBay’s US operations with solar energy. This collaboration is a great example of the teamwork needed to achieve our mutual goals for a healthier, more sustainable and resilient planet and economy for generations to come.
This project, previously called “Ventress Solar Farm,” was renamed in August 2022. The project site is near an oxbow lake known as “False River” in Ventress, Louisiana.
In developing the project, Lightsource bp adhered to the ordinance adopted by the Pointe Coupee Parish Council that provides local regulatory control over solar farms. Key elements of the ordinance, which complement our best practices for solar farm development, include:
- buffer zones of greenspace with trees and shrubs between the solar panels and public
- addressing maintenance and upkeep of the facility
- making sure appropriate drainage and traffic mitigation are provided,
- and how the site would be decommissioned at its end of life
Local benefits of solar projects
Job creation: The project employed approximately 400 workers during construction, with the majority coming from the local area.
A healthier environment: 450,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide will be abated each year, the equivalent to emissions from 99,000 cars.
Biodiversity conservation: Studies have confirmed that solar projects can increase wildlife populations and overall biodiversity by allowing soil and habitat to regenerate, since once constructed solar farms remain untouched for decades.
Philanthropic commitments: Lightsource bp has dedicated more than $375,000 in funds to philanthropic activities and charitable donations to local Pointe Coupee Parish organizations, including Pointe Coupee Parish Parks & Recreation, Adopt-A-Grandparent Point Coupee Parish, Market at the Mill and New Roads Lions Club.
Revenue to Parish agencies: More than $30 million dollars in new revenue will flow to Pointe Coupee Parish government agencies over the next 35 years without a tax increase on its citizens, or penalty to state funding for its schools.
Under a PILOT program, a larger payment is allocated to governing agencies in the first 10 years of the solar farm’s operation.
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 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, through the benefits of solar land leasing.
Why solar?
Solar is a passive form of technology, generating emissions-free electricity that adds security to our country’s energy mix. This, combined with its ability to bring our country’s energy 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 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.
Our Responsible Solar approach
Farm-style game fencing pictured at Oxbow Solar.
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.
Customized long term land management plans
Once a solar farm is built, it becomes a nature haven that’s undisturbed for many years. We have seen plant and wildlife habitats increase at our solar farms, and our goal is to create plans that will increase local biodiversity.
Screening and setbacks from residential areas
We design setbacks from nearby property lines, and plant evergreen screening wherever needed to protect our neighbors’ viewsheds.
Maintenance and upkeep
A long-term land maintenance plan for the site is in place to guarantee the highest productivity from the farm, and to ensure it blends with the aesthetic character of the New Roads area.
Pledge to recycling
Lightsource bp is committed to recycling all panels at our solar farms in the US – that includes any panels damaged during construction, operations, and all panels left at end of life of the project – at which time the installation will be dismantled, completely removed and the land returned to its original state.
Information and resources
We’ve put together a collection of resources for anyone who’d like to know more about utility-scale solar energy.
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
Stories
Find out more about our Responsible Solar approach
Habitat creation and preservation in Louisiana
Case study from Prairie Ronde Solar in St. Landry Parish
Helping make solar technology and job training accessible to underserved communities
Our partnership with GRID Alternatives in Colorado.
Community dialogue: Get in touch
Lightsource bp is dedicated to supporting communities that are home to our solar projects across America. We have a Community Relations team that works closely with our neighbors to maximize the positive social impacts of our projects.
If you would like 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.
