Infrastructure and Energy Alternatives (IEA), a leading infrastructure construction company with renewable energy and speciality civil expertise, announced today that it has been awarded a 50 MW AC solar contract to construct the Turkey Creek Solar Ranch in Garrard County, Kentucky. The engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contract was granted to IEA Constructors, a subsidiary of IEA that oversees utility-scale energy and heavy civil infrastructure projects by Nashville-based Silicon Ranch Corporation, one of the nation’s largest independent solar power producers.
IEA will engage approximately 250 craft workers to build Silicon Ranch, the most of whom will be recruited locally from Garrard County, the surrounding area and the military veteran community. The project will hire for positions ranging from entry-level to experienced, and IEA will give on-site training in tracker assembly, wire harnessing, and module installation to workers seeking utility-scale solar construction expertise.
The Turkey Creek Solar Ranch is the first utility-scale solar project to get Kentucky Public Service Commission Siting Board approval. Silicon Ranch is investing heavily in Garrard County to support the Turkey Creek project, and will own and operate the solar array for the foreseeable future, as is the company’s policy with every project it creates. Construction is projected to begin in December 2021 and end in November 2022. The scope of work for IEA comprises the installation of owner-supplied first solar modules as well as full EPC construction of the balance of the system, including civil, mechanical, and electrical work.
