Largest solar farm east of the Mississippi provides more than just power

Yahoo

02-05-2025

The largest solar farm east of the Mississippi River now provides 100% of the electricity powering Loyola University in Chicago, and starting next fall the solar array will also be part of the university's lesson plans.
The power purchase agreements that made the Double Black Diamond solar farm possible include 'unique' components that promise Loyola access to the sprawling site and real-time data on its power generation, plus guest lectures from leaders at Swift Current Energy, the firm that operates the project, said Matt Birchby, Swift Current's president. The Boston-based renewables developer owns several other Illinois solar and wind farms in addition to Double Black Diamond.
'It offers a lot of opportunities for faculty and students on campus,' said Loyola assistant professor of environmental policy Gilbert Michaud, who attended a ribbon-cutting for the solar farm on April 30, though the project has been producing energy since last year. 'It's good for me; it's good for the students. We'll write some papers.'
The 593-megawatt array also provides about 70% of the electricity used by the city of Chicago for municipal operations, including the city's two airports. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson joined Loyola faculty and local elected officials at the ribbon-cutting, which took place amid farmland a three-hour drive south of Chicago.
The solar farm is crucial to Chicago meeting its goal of 100% renewable energy by 2025, Chicago Department of Environment spokesperson Kathleen O'Shea said. 'This project demonstrates how climate action and economic investment can go hand in hand and benefit both our planet and people,' O'Shea said.
Swift Current is exploring ways to invest in Chicago-based workforce training programs to prepare residents for careers in the clean energy sector, Birchby said, as part of a community benefits agreement with the city, since Chicago is too far away to reap tax and employment benefits from the solar farm.
The $779 million project was built by union workers, mostly with modules produced domestically by Arizona-based First Solar — a boon during the post-Covid global supply chain crunch, Birchby said.
Electricity supplier Constellation Energy Corp., which also owns Illinois' fleet of nuclear power plants, purchases the energy from the solar farm and passes the renewable energy credits on to Chicago, Loyola, CVS, and other customers. Chicago has a 300-MW allotment from the project, and Loyola claims 38 MW. That helps Loyola meet its 2025 goal of being carbon neutral, which is part of the Jesuit university's larger faith-based commitment to sustainability, as officials told Canary Media in 2023 when the solar farm deal was announced.
Michaud, an economist and data analyst by training, looks forward to using data from Double Black Diamond in his courses and bringing students to the solar farm and surrounding area for fieldwork.
Michaud and his graduate students have studied the impact of large solar farms on property values and public attitudes toward utility-scale solar around the Midwest and in Europe. He has found that while people often fear solar farms will decrease their property values, that rarely happens. Instead, solar farms may actually increase property values, perhaps because of amenities facilitated by an influx of funding.
Sangamon and Morgan counties, which host the 4,100-acre array, are expected to receive about $100 million in tax revenue thanks to the project, according to Swift Current, which will also donate hundreds of thousands of dollars each year to local civic causes.
'We looked at how we could become a long-term resident of that community,' said Birchby. 'At first, that's done with proper siting. So with property values and other dynamics at play, you're making sure you're not adversely affecting landowners. We're saying, 'Hey we're a corporate sponsor, and we are people who work and live in your community now. How do we give back and become true members of the community?''
Michaud said he's eager to study the economic and social ripple effects of Double Black Diamond.
'Can we talk to adjacent landowners? Can we look at the performance of the system? Will there be agrivoltaics?' Michaud said. 'There's obviously energy research we can do, and it might open up other doors — for soil science, water runoff, how does this impact the local bird or rodent population?'
Birchby said Double Black Diamond could be a place to experiment with agrivoltaics, wherein farming coexists with solar production. He said the land under and around the panels is currently planted with native, pollinator-friendly vegetation, and he's interested in grazing sheep 'as an alternative to seasonal mowing … further supporting the broader farming community.'
Birchby said the economies of scale for the large solar farm allow Swift Current to offer lower rates in 12-year contracts with buyers like Loyola and Chicago that are 'almost like a marriage.'
'We struck up relationships and partnerships where we've been able to navigate hand in hand,' said Birchby. 'I'm thrilled with the outcome the collective teams were able to bring together.'