Vice President Kamala Harris flew into the Chattanooga Airport on Thursday, rode in a motorcade to Dalton, Ga., and announced what was called the largest community solar effort in U.S. history.
During a visit to the Qcells solar plant, she said the project would be able to power 140,000 homes and businesses in three states.
Hanwha Solutions Corp. officials said earlier that they would invest $2.5 billion to expand the Dalton plant and build another facility in Cartersville.
Qcells plans to supply some 30 percent of total U.S.
solar panel demand by 2027.
Qcells and Summit Ridge Energy are planning community solar projects aimed at supplying 1.2 gigawatts of electricity in Illinois, Maryland and Maine.
These projects used a shared solar generating site rather than having units on individual homes and businesses.