$221M solar farm being built on 1,000 acres in Perry, Hale counties

A $221 million solar farm project – the second largest in the state – is being built on 1,000 acres in the Black Belt. 

The project in Perry and Hale counties has been in the works for 10 years, according to documents filed with the Alabama Public Service Commission, with construction at the remote site on Alabama 61 near Newbern kicking up in the last six months. A spokesman for the company building the site said the project will be completed by June 2027.

The two counties have already received some tax revenue from the project. The privilege tax on the $221 million mortgage brought in $323,000 to Perry County and $8,300 to Hale County, according to documents in the Perry County probate office. The tax reflects that about 98% of the 1,000-plus acres involved in the project is in Perry County with the rest in Hale County.

Miami-based Enfinity Global is building the solar project that is made up of two plants of just under 80 megawatts each. Each plant, officially listed with the Alabama Public Service Commission as EG Saturn Solar I and EG Saturn Solar II, will generate about 187,000 megawatt hours of electricity a year. Together, Saturn I and Saturn II will generate enough power to serve about 37,000 homes, according to Enfinity. 

Enfinity said in a statement that the projects will support over 300 construction jobs during peak phases "and create additional opportunities for local businesses, suppliers and service providers."

"Enfinity and its contractors will seek to involve qualified local contractors and subcontractors wherever feasible throughout the construction process," the statement said.

“Once operational, the solar facilities will require a permanent on-site workforce of three full-time Enfinity employees, complemented by local service providers to support ongoing operations and maintenance," the statement said.

Enfinity said the projects will "generate a positive local impact through tax payments," and the company is "in discussions with local institutions to identify further opportunities to support the community."

The facility will be built, owned and operated by Enfinity, but Alabama Power Company has agreed to purchase the electricity generated by the plants, according to documents from the PSC and a statement from Alabama Power.

Retail giant Walmart is also a player in the project. According to documents filed with the PSC, Walmart will contribute financial support for the EG Saturn Solar I site, and in return Walmart can receive credit for the plant’s clean energy output.

In a statement, Alabama Power said that “Alabama Power will purchase the energy, while subscribing customers receive the Renewable Energy Certificates,” the official paperwork that documents the amount of clean energy the plant produces.

Documents filed with the PSC identify Walmart as the “subscribing customer” for a 15-year contract in this project. The PSC approved the agreement between Alabama Power and Walmart in 2024, and the two companies have partnered on renewable energy initiatives for almost a decade, Alabama Power said in a statement.

The Enfinity site will include approximately 300,000 solar photovoltaic (PV) modules installed on trackers, which allow the panels to follow the sun during the day and improve energy production, according to Enfinity. These panels contain semiconductor materials, typically silicon, that absorb photons from sunlight and release electrons, creating an electric current. This direct current (DC) is then converted to alternating current (AC) by an inverter and injected into the grid via a substation, according to the Enfinity website.

"From an environmental perspective, the facilities are designed to operate without consuming water for electricity generation, and without direct air emissions or odors," the statement said. "They are not expected to generate significant noise for surrounding communities during normal operations."

The project, most of which is on land purchased from the Broussard family, has received all the proper permits, and it "was refined following engagement with local stakeholders, including the acquisition of additional land to increase setbacks and the incorporation of vegetative screening measures to reduce visibility from public roads," the statement said.

Joey Taylor, who will be a close neighbor to the solar plant site, said that he has "no problem" with the project, although he said some neighbors have expressed some concerns. He said the land was farmed by the Broussard family for many years and was most recently a hay field.

Mary Clements, a resident of Hale County who lived in Perry County for 25 years, said she believes the site will bring "positive opportunities" to the area. She said that she has heard no negative comments about the project from the folks she knows.

The combined 160 megawatt generating capacity of the Saturn sites is slightly larger than a new Black Bear solar farm in Montgomery County, which has a 130-megawatt capacity.That plant uses 280,000 PV panels to convert sunlight into electricity, according to Black Bear’s website.

A plant in Colbert County in northwest Alabama is the largest in the state and one of the largest in the country with a capacity of 227 megawatts, according to the website for Blackridge Research and Consulting.

Enfinity Global operates more than 50 solar farms in the US, Italy, India and Japan. The Alabama facility will be its largest, according to the company’s website.

Spokesmen for Alabama Power and Enfinity said that construction of the solar farms is not related to a proposed data center in nearby Marengo and Hale counties.