Aug 20 - Commercial Appeal, The



A plan to generate solar power in West Tennessee should produce significant benefits for area small businesses, state Sen. Lowe Finney said during a Wednesday visit to Memphis.

Finney, D-Jackson, was keynote speaker at a meeting of the Memphis Area Action Council, the local arm of the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB). He praised the Volunteer State Solar Initiative as a future source of sustainable revenue for West Tennessee.

The project is fueled by $30 million in federal funds to construct a solar farm off Interstate 40 in southern Haywood County, about 40 miles northeast of Memphis.

Although the money hasn't yet been awarded - the state applied in May for $62.5 million in federal funds - Finney expressed confidence that approval is forthcoming. About half the money will go toward the Haywood site, and the rest is designated for a solar-power institute in East Tennessee.

Finney said the facility will be on 30 acres of an industrial "megasite" that state officials want to see developed by a new manufacturing plant. The megasite will cover more than 1,100 acres, and the state's purchase of the land should be completed by Oct. 1.

After the deal is finalized, the solar farm should be operational within a year.

"The ripple effect on outlying areas will be substantial in the creation of jobs and the need for services," said Finney, who estimated that construction of the solar farm alone will require 200 to 300 workers. "This is going to change the landscape of West Tennessee, and there's not a county in the surrounding area that won't be positively affected."

The 22,000-panel solar farm is expected to produce energy that will be available for purchase by TVA, Finney said. The annual output should be enough to power about 800 homes.

Austin Baker, a member of the national federation, applauded the green initiative and the potential for a more skilled and educated workforce in this region.

"I'm excited about the green sector and bringing new technologies to West Tennessee," said Baker, president of EServ . "I think workforce readiness will be a key component and may help redirect jobs back to America from overseas."

Local business owner Chris Bird said the project's benefits should be apparent almost immediately and resonate for years.

"If this is successful, and I hope it is, the potential positive financial impact is almost limitless," said Bird, president of Dillard Door & Entrance Control . "Attracting big industry will result in an increase in the need for the services of any number of small businesses."

The next meeting of the local NFIB chapter will be 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sept. 16 at Regions Bank, 6200 Poplar. The program, which is free and open to local business professionals, includes lunch.

For more information, e-mail Valerie.Nagoshiner@NFIB.org or call (615) 872-5331.

- James Dowd: 529-2737

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National Federation of Independent Business

What: Nonprofit, nonpartisan agency founded in 1943

Where: Offices in Washington and every state capital

Who: More than 1,000 NFIB members in Shelby County

Phone: (615) 872-5855

Online: nfib.com/tn

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Originally published by James Dowd dowd@commercialappeal.com .

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