South Carolina now ranks ninth nationally in new solar power initiatives, according to a January news report. Parker Poe Consulting has worked with two of the three operators cited in the piece: Cypress Creek Renewables and National Renewable Energy Corporation (NARENCO). We also have helped Tradewind Energy commit to a new solar farm in Orangeburg County.

Charlotte-based NARENCO expects to go live in late 2018 with a pair of utility-scale solar farms in Neeses and Springfield, also in Orangeburg County. They will be able to produce up to 80 megawatts (MW), enough renewable electricity to light up approximately 16,000 homes. It’s an $89.1 million investment.

Tradewind Energy, meanwhile, plans to begin building a 75 MW solar farm near Bowman next year. The Lenexa, Kan., company has committed $85 million to that project.

The Tradewind and NARENCO projects were both announced in the past few weeks. California-based Cypress Creek began announcing its plans to build solar farms in nine South Carolina Counties in October of 2015.

Solar power production is soaring in the United States. These complex, exciting endeavors require extensive planning and coordination among landowners, local, state and federal officials and regulators, and the power companies. We’re honored to help navigate on this journey.