Three solar plant projects in Meridian will be finished within the year, according to the companies behind the renewable energy source, with at least two on track to be complete in May. 

McCarthy Building Companies, Inc., a contractor for the project, said in a news release phases I and II would include 6 MWdc on 38 acres, with the third and largest phase including a 75 MWdc solar project on approximately 650 acres.

All of the projects are located by the Naval Air Station in Meridian, which explored solar energy as a way to strengthened their resiliency to power outages from other sources.

Silicon Ranch Corporation will own and operate the solar power project, with the first two phases supplying power to the Tennessee Valley Authority. The final phase will provide energy to Mississippi Power. The combined projects are expected to generate enough power for 8,500 homes, according to the release. 

“At Silicon Ranch we believe we can make a positive difference in the communities we serve, and we’re pleased to work with McCarthy to execute this vision by using local service providers and hiring locally,” Matt Kisber, the co-founder and CEO of Silicon Ranch, said in a statement. “Silicon Ranch commends the U.S. Navy, EMEPA, Mississippi Power, and TVA for their partnership to bring the economic, environmental and community benefits of utility-scale solar to Lauderdale County.”

The news release stated that the construction project will also be at least 98 percent sustainable due to an agreement with Lauderdale County-based recycler JWC Environmental, which will recycle the construction waste into roofing felt and other building materials. 

“We are continually working to incorporate more sustainable construction practices into our projects and this partnership is helping to take our vision for being the best builder of clean energy solutions in the nation to a new level,” Scott Canada, the senior vice president of McCarthy’s Renewable Energy group, said a statement. “We are grateful to team up with sustainable-minded solar owners like Silicon Ranch that understand the value of not only solar infrastructure, but also of utilizing green construction practices to significantly reduce project waste.”

McCarthy said it planned to hire more than 300 craft workers, mostly from the local community, to assemble, install and write horizontal single-axis trackers supporting more than 190,000 solar modules.

Because the project is on landed leased from the Lauderdale County School Board, it will generate revenue for the Lauderdale County School District. 

Area residents looking to apply as laborers, operators, crew leaders, electricians or more can search “solar” at www.McCarthy.com/careers/search.