Salt Lake City's rPlus Energies breaks ground for Green River Energy Center in Emery County
Salt Lake City-based rPlus Energies, a renewable energy investment company, has broken ground on the Green River Energy Center, a 400-megawatt solar photovoltaic and 400 megawatt/1,600 megawatt-hour battery storage project in Emery County. One of the largest solar-plus-storage projects under construction in the nation, Green River Energy Center will supply power to PacifiCorp under a power purchase agreement.
“This project is being built in rural Utah, by rural Utahns and for all of Utah. When rural Utah thrives, the entire state prospers,” said Gov. Spencer Cox at the recent groundbreaking ceremony. “Today, we’re not just breaking ground, we’re building a future of affordable, abundant energy in Utah.”
Having secured over $1 billion in construction debt financing earlier this year, the project is expected to create approximately 500 jobs — many filled by local workers — and will provide a boost to Emery County’s economy, enhancing tax revenue, strengthening public services and offering long-term employment opportunities in the energy sector.
Sundt Construction, based in Arizona, is the engineering, procurement and construction contractor for the project, with EliTe Solar supplying the solar modules and Tesla providing the battery storage system.
“It’s the partners that make this project special, that have made this monumental project possible,” Luigi Resta, president and CEO of rPlus Energies, told those gathered for the groundbreaking. “From our equipment providers to the on-site talent, and the support of the local and regional community, we owe this project’s success to each of you.”
Backed by Sandbrook Capital and the Gardner Group, rPlus Energies specializes in bringing projects to market through partnership with the private sector, municipalities, utilities and technology and service providers. Its portfolio consists of a mix of solar, battery, wind and pumped storage hydro facilities.