Evergy announced this week that its Hawthorn power plant is now home to 10 megawatts (MW) of new solar energy. With 22,000 solar panels, it is the largest solar subscription array in Missouri.
Over half of the renewable energy produced onsite is available to customers who enroll in Evergy’s Solar Subscription program, which is available to Kansas Metro, Missouri Metro, and Missouri West customers.
The subscription program allows customers to offset a portion of their annual energy usage with solar energy. Nearly 1,500 Evergy customers have subscribed to energy from the solar array through solar subscription to date.
“Using Hawthorn’s existing land and infrastructure provided Evergy the opportunity to construct one of the most cost-effective and the largest solar subscription facilities in Missouri,” said Chuck Caisley, Evergy senior vice president and chief customer officer. “Customers will benefit from these savings for years to come through access to economic local renewable generation.”
The new solar array sits on 67 acres to the northwest of the Hawthorn plant in northeast Kansas City, MO. Annually, the array will produce nearly 21,000 MWh of solar energy.
From the array, 5 MW will serve customers who selected to participate in Evergy’s Solar Subscription program, an additional megawatt will serve participants in an income-qualified subscription program for Missouri customers, and the remaining 4 MW will serve all Evergy Missouri customers.
Additional customers can sign up for the program. In the future, the 4 MW will transition to meet demand for new enrollment in the subscription program.
The new solar array is part of Evergy’s plan to be carbon neutral by 2045.
Currently, Evergy’s energy mix includes coal, solar, wind, natural gas, nuclear, biogas and hydro-power. Combined, it is 50% carbon free. Evergy plans call for the retirement of nearly all remaining coal generating plants by 2040 and adding an additional 4,000MW of renewable energy in the next 10 years.
Evergy provides electricity to approximately 1.6-million customers in Missouri and Kansas.
When I click on the link, Evergy says that the program is full and you have to enroll in a waitlist.