UNITED STATES

Oxbow solar

Key numbers

345MWdc

/300MWac of clean, locally generated electricity

400

jobs created during construction, the majority local workers

458,000

metric tons of CO2 emissions reduced every year, which is equivalent to emissions from about 100,000 fuel-burning cars

$394 million

investment of private capital into energy infrastructure for Louisiana, helping increase the state’s energy security

$30 million

dollars to Pointe Coupee Parish government agencies in revenue over the next 35 years

Current status

Site Selection & preliminary design

Stakeholder outreach

Permitting & environmental studies

Land management & biodiversity planning

Final engineering, financing & construction

Operation & maintenance

Decommissioning & recycling

Lightsource bp has started construction on the largest solar farm in Louisiana. We are building and will operate the privately funded $394 million, 345 megawatt dc Oxbow solar farm on 1,800 acres of land, of which 790 acres is farmland, in Pointe Coupee Parish.

The project will do more than generate affordable, clean energy and reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions. Construction of the solar farm will provide 400 construction jobs for a 21- to 24-month period, with the majority of workers local labor. It will also provide a more than $30 million dollar boost to Pointe Coupee Parish government agencies in revenue over the next 35 years without a tax increase on its citizens, and have an indirect economic impact of over $200 million, according to a study by the Baton Rouge Area Chamber.

Through corporate power purchase agreements, the Oxbow Solar project will help power McDonald’s and eBay’s US operations with solar energy. This collaboration is a great example of the teamwork needed to achieve our mutual goals for a healthier, more sustainable and resilient planet and economy for generations to come.

This project, previously called “Ventress Solar Farm,” was renamed in August 2022. The project site is near an oxbow lake known as “False River” in Ventress, Louisiana.

 

In developing the project, Lightsource bp has adhered to the ordinance adopted by the Pointe Coupee Parish Council that provides local regulatory control over solar farms. Key elements of the ordinance, which complement our best practices for solar farm development, include:

  • buffer zones of greenspace with trees and shrubs between the solar panels and public
  • addressing maintenance and upkeep of the facility
  • making sure appropriate drainage and traffic mitigation are provided,
  • and how the site would be decommissioned at its end of life

Buffer zones will include a setback of not less than 300 feet from the center of any adjacent public roadway, along with a setback of at least 150 feet from any residence and 50 feet from any adjacent property line.

A long-term land maintenance plan for the site will be shared with the community to guarantee the highest productivity from the farm, and to ensure it blends with the aesthetic character of the New Roads area.

Local benefits of solar projects

Job creation: The project will employ approximately 400 workers during construction, with the majority coming from the local area.

A healthier environment: 450,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide will be abated each year, the equivalent to emissions from 99,000 cars.

Biodiversity conservation: Studies have confirmed that solar projects can increase wildlife populations and overall biodiversity by allowing soil and habitat to regenerate, since once constructed solar farms remain untouched for decades.

Philanthropic commitments: Lightsource bp is committed to dedicating $375,000 in funds to philanthropic activities and charitable donations to local Pointe Coupee Parish organizations.

Revenue to Parish agencies: More than $30 million dollars in new revenue will flow to Pointe Coupee Parish government agencies over the next 35 years without a tax increase on its citizens, or penalty to state funding for its schools.

Under a PILOT program, a larger payment is allocated to governing agencies in the first 10 years of the solar farm’s operation.

Community dialogue – we want to be a good neighbor

At Lightsource bp, we not only develop solar projects. We own and operate them, making us a committed long-term partner in Pointe Coupee Parish.

A critical step in all of our projects is soliciting community feedback to help shape our final plans. We welcome your questions and comments to ensure that our Oxbow solar farm is a great project for your community.

It’s so much more than a solar farm

A solar farm is so much more than you think. It’s a jobs farm. It’s a biodiversity farm. It’s an educational farm for local schools. It’s a new year-round type of harvest for your neighbor farmers that helps them keep their land for future generations, through the benefits of solar land leasing.

Why solar?

Solar is a passive form of technology, generating emissions-free electricity that adds security to our country’s energy mix. This, combined with its ability to bring our country’s energy costs down makes it an ideal energy source for the US.

  • Solar farms are quiet, clean neighbors. They don’t emit any noise beyond the site boundaries and can be designed with screening to limit project visibility from neighbors’ residences and nearby roads.
  • With a long-term land management plan, studies have shown that solar farms can meaningfully increase wildlife populations and biodiversity.
  • Solar farms can help strengthen rural economies by creating local jobs, contributing significant annual revenue for local governments, providing dependable revenue to landowners in order to supplement farm income, and bringing multimillion dollar annual operations budgets that are primarily spent in the region.

Our responsible solar approach

Example of fencing that will be used for the Oxbow solar farm.

 

Lightsource bp has a deep commitment to delivering safe, clean and affordable energy, as well as maximizing the environmental sustainability and positive social impacts of each of our projects. We call this approach responsible solar. We pay attention to every detail, from the fencing we choose to the vegetation we plant. As the project owner and operator, we want our Oxbow solar farm to be a great project for the local community.

Customized long term land management plans

Once a solar farm is built, it becomes a nature haven that’s undisturbed for many years. We have seen plant and wildlife habitats increase at our solar farms, and our goal is to create plans that will increase local biodiversity.

Screening and setbacks from residential areas

We design setbacks from nearby property lines, and plant evergreen screening wherever needed to protect our neighbors’ viewsheds. We’re eager to work with our neighbors on what types of plantings they prefer.

Maintenance and upkeep

A long-term land maintenance plan for the site will be shared with the community to guarantee the highest productivity from the farm, and to ensure it blends with the aesthetic character of the New Roads area.

Pledge to recycling

Lightsource bp is committed to recycling all panels at our solar farms in the US – that includes any panels damaged during construction, operations, and all panels left at end of life of the project – at which time the installation will be dismantled, completely removed and the land returned to its original state.

Stories

Find out more about our Responsible Solar approach

Get in touch

If you’d like to find out more about this project, email oxbow@lightsourcebp.com, or fill out the form below. We aim to get back to you within five working days