1 MW Eastbridge Business Park Solar Array Unveiled in Tennessee
The Development Corporation of Knox County (TDC), Restoration Services, Inc. (RSI), and Vis Solis with their numerous partners hosted an Earth Day celebration of success and plug-in ceremony at Eastbridge Business Park in northeast Knox County, Tennessee on Friday, April 21.
Mayor Helps Plug in New Solar Panels at Eastbridge Business Park https://t.co/81QV4bfk2N pic.twitter.com/XP0vp7xcBz
— City of Knoxville (@CityKnoxvilleTN) April 21, 2017
Local and state officials and business professionals gathered at the scenic location to celebrate the recent successes in the 800-acre business park including a new, one-megawatt (MW) solar array, the extension of Holston Bend Drive, and a recent grant award for $500,000 toward the extension of wastewater treatment within the business park. Three of the park’s development sites, totaling 121 acres, have also recently been designated by the State as Select Tennessee Certified Sites.
Todd Napier, president and CEO of TDC said:
“Earth Day reminds me of the importance of using our limited resources efficiently, and really I can think of no better way for us to positon ourselves to be able to protect the Earth’s resources than to facilitate the creation of good jobs for its inhabitants. Environmental stewardship and economic development, in my mind, are very intrinsically related.”
Representatives from the State of Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development, Knox County, the City of Knoxville, TDC, RSI, Vis Solis, Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), Knoxville Utilities Board (KUB), and the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy addressed the crowd. They spoke to the importance of partnerships in economic development initiatives, as well as the significant impact the additions at Eastbridge Business Park will have in recruiting new jobs and capital investment.
Paul Clay, president of RSI said:
“As an environmental services firm, it’s very important to our company and our employees that we engage in sustainability initiatives. [The solar array] is a sustainable economic development initiative in the county. We’re putting the power back on the grid, and we think it will be attractive to businesses as they look to relocate or locate here in this industrial park.”
City of Knoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero touted the city’s dedication to sustainable energy and its recent initiatives, before leading the plug-in ceremony for the 1-MW solar array.
https://www.facebook.com/knoxvillechamber/photos/?tab=album&album_id=10155887772254237
Mayor Rogero said:
“The City of Knoxville is committed to making Knoxville a sustainable city – one where the economy, environment, and community can thrive. Projects like the Eastbridge solar farm, one of the largest solar installations in Knox County, help make that vision a reality. We know that economic development and sustainability are not at odds, rather they go hand-in-hand. This project, a major solar investment at an industrial park, truly symbolizes that relationship.”
The project, a solar photovoltaic electric power generating facility, was developed on The Development Corporation of Knox County, Tennessee (TDC) property under a partnership between Restoration Services, Inc. (RSI) and Vis Solis. It will sell electric power to Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) through an interconnection with Knoxville Utilities Board (KUB).
Source: Press Release by Restoration Services, Inc. (RSI). Image Credit: Knoxville Chamber.
