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JERSEYVILLE - Hickory Solar Park, first announced in 2023, is steadily making progress on over 600 acres of land just north of Jerseyville. Featuring thousands of solar panels and an output of 110 megawatts, the project will benefit Ameren Electric customers in Jerseyville.
Derek Russell, code administrator for Jersey County, said McCarthy Construction is currently in the process of installing fencing and solar panels, while J.F. Electric works on the electrical systems of the massive solar park.
While the project’s current estimated completion date is sometime this fall, Russell added the timeline is weather-dependent, as work on the solar park cannot continue when it rains. He also said Ameren customers within the city will see the most benefit from the solar park.
“The energy generated from the solar park will be put into the grid that feeds the City of Jerseyville,” Russell said. “It’ll go into Ameren’s grid, so the Ameren customers will be getting the solar energy.”
While Hickory Solar Park is partially split between Jersey and Greene Counties, the majority of the park - 637 acres - is located in Jersey County. Russell added the project is moving along faster than expected.
“They’re moving along quite a bit. It looks like they’ve got all the posts in that the panels are supposed to fit on, so they’re getting quite a bit done,” Russell said. “It’s going a lot faster than I thought it would be.”
More detailed information about the project’s cost and funding could not yet be confirmed; Russell said the project was proposed by a private company, EDP Renewables, who did not have to disclose that information to his office.
While a representative of EDP Renewables could not be reached at the time of this writing, they previously estimated their capital investment over the lifetime of the project to be over $130 million.
For more information from when the project was first announced, see this related story on Riverbender.com.
If you’re interested in solar for your home or commercial building, consider Riverbender.com’s new client Grid Solar LLC. Find out more on the Grid Solar website or Facebook page.
Aerial photos and video of Hickory Solar Park courtesy of 618 Drone Service.
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