Lightsource bp’s 180 MW PV farm begins operation in Louisiana

US-based Lightsource bp’s 180 MW (DC) Prairie Ronde solar project in St. Landry Parish, Louisiana, entered commercial operation. The $170 million project produced enough energy to power 31,000 homes and aimed to support domestic manufacturing, improve grid reliability, and reduce reliance on imports. The Prairie Ronde solar project used US-made panels from First Solar and trackers from Array Technologies. Over its lifetime, it planned to deliver over $20 million to the local economy, including $8.3 million in the first five years and a $3.9 million annual operating budget.