08.14.23

Durbin Visits Double Black Diamond Solar Farm

VIRDEN – U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today visited Double Black Diamond, one of the largest planned solar farms in the country, to receive updates on its construction and discuss the upcoming one-year anniversary of theInflation Reduction Act (IRA).

“Swift Current Energy’s 600 megawatt bet on Illinois is a testament to our state’s potential as a leader in clean energy innovation,” said Durbin. “The Inflation Reduction Act triggered a tidal wave of change, with billions of dollars cascading into clean energy projects like Double Black Diamond, creating hundreds of jobs for Illinoisans and underscoring a revolution in American energy production.”

When completed in 2024, Double Black Diamond will span parts of Sangamon and Morgan counties and be the second largest solar farm in the country. The solar farm will cover more than 4,100 acres and provide more than 593 megawatts of clean electricity. Swift Current Energy, the American company developing Double Black Diamond, says this project will create 450 construction jobs involving labor unions, including IBEW, Carpenters, Ironworkers, and Teamsters.

The IRA, which Durbin supported, extended the solar investment and production tax credits for ten years, ensuring that up to 30 percent of a project’s costs can be covered by the federal government and that companies can claim $2.75/kilowatt hour of solar energy produced. The Solar Energy 2 Industry Association (SEIA) estimates that by 2033, the U.S. will quadruple its current solar capacity and produce more power via solar than coal did in 2022 thanks to the IRA.

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