RWE has announced that it has completed construction on its first project in Louisiana, the 100 MW Lafitte Solar project in Ouachita Parish. The project will be fully online and generating energy by the end of this year.
Lafitte Solar was made possible through a long-term PPA with Meta, which also sees Meta receive all environmental benefits associated with the project, including RECs. This follows another Louisiana PPA of 385 MW for Meta earlier this fall.
The project was celebrated Nov. 13 at a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by Monroe Mayor Friday Ellis, local officials from the Ouachita Parish Police Jury and Ouachita Parish Industrial Development Board, RWE leadership and employees and construction partner McCarthy Building Companies.
Construction of Lafitte Solar was completed in collaboration with RWE’s EPC partner McCarthy, meaning the project supported more than 150 full-time jobs at its peak. During construction, workers supported local businesses and restaurants, and shopped at area stores, increasing the project’s economic impact.
“We are thrilled to see the Lafitte Solar project reach this important milestone – not only adding clean energy to the local grid, but also adding jobs to the local economy,” said Amanda Yang, head of clean and renewable energy at Meta. “Projects like Lafitte Solar are essential to achieving our clean energy goals and strengthening communities.”
Lafitte Solar’s site design includes natural and native vegetation around the perimeter, promoting biodiversity and habitat conservation, benefiting the project’s land and surrounding agricultural lands. The project will also use a flock of more than 600 sheep to maintain healthy vegetation on site. This practice not only protects local farmland, but also deepens partnerships with regional farmers, demonstrating how sustainable energy intersects with agriculture.
News item from RWE
