US' 1.3GW solar farm to power 200,000 homes, boost clean energy capacity by 20%

Yahoo

18-05-2025

A 1.3 gigawatt (GW) solar farm in northern Indiana is all set to become one of USA's largest solar power projects following an agreement between Philadelphia-based renewable energy operator Doral Renewables and Virginia-headquartered engineering firm Bechtel.
Construction on Indiana's Mammoth Solar project ramped up this month after Doral Renewables issued a Full Notice to Proceed (FNTP) to Bechtel in a bid to boost total solar capacity in Indiana by more than 20%. Bechtel will design, engineer, and build Mammoth South, Mammoth Central I, and Mammoth Central II—three segments that together will deliver 900 megawatts AC of clean energy capacity, enough to power 200,000 homes.
Bechtel is set to install approximately two million solar panels over the next two years—around half of which will be manufactured in the US. The company is overseeing all engineering, procurement, and construction activities. According to a media statement released by the firm, it will use its award-winning digital delivery methods and autonomous technologies to speed up construction and improve project outcomes.
"A project of this scale depends on strong collaboration with local building trades to ensure access to the skilled workforce needed. We're working closely with craft professionals, creating high-quality jobs, and being a reliable partner to the community as we help deliver Mammoth Solar and increase the supply of clean, reliable solar power," said Scott Austin, Bechtel's general manager of renewables & clean power.
More than 1,200 jobs are expected to be created at the height of the Mammoth Solar project, with at least 15% dedicated to apprenticeships.
When completed in 2027, Doral Renewables plans to implement agrivoltaics initiatives across the entire site, integrating livestock grazing and crop cultivation alongside the solar panels. This dual-use approach allows local farmers and landowners to continue their agricultural activities while benefiting from renewable energy production.
"We remain deeply committed to the highest standards of safety, quality, and environmental stewardship throughout this phase. We are equally focused on fostering strong community relationships, ensuring meaningful local participation from the workforce and vendors, and supporting the county through direct, indirect, and induced economic benefits," noted Amit Nadkarni, senior vice president of project & asset management at Doral Renewables.
One of Bechtel's massive past projects was the Ivanpah solar power plant, a concentrated solar power facility located in California's Mojave Desert. The plant uses rows of parabolic mirrors called heliostats to focus sunlight onto receivers atop three towers.
Comprising three CSP plants side by side, Ivanpah was the largest facility of its kind in the world at the time. It features 173,500 heliostats, each equipped with two parabolic mirrors that reflect sunlight onto the solar towers. Developed by BrightSource Energy in partnership with Bechtel, the project cost $2.2 billion to complete.
This year, power plant operator and co-owner NRG Energy Inc. announced plans to shut down part of the Ivanpah plant, just over 11 years after it began operations.
Originally, the utility was contracted to purchase power from two units through 2039. However, following a 2021 directive from the California Public Utilities Commission to review energy sources, the utility identified the Ivanpah agreements as a chance to reduce costs, leading plant owners to offer early termination.