KNOX, Ind. (Inside INdiana Business) — Israel-based Doral Renewables LLC has signed an Engineering Procurement and Construction Agreement for the massive Mammoth Solar project in northwest Indiana. The company says the deal with SOLV Energy in California represents the plan to build the solar farm’s first phase.

Officials broke ground on the $1.5 billion solar farm in Starke and Pulaski counties last October. The $475 million first phase, also known as Mammoth North, is expected to generate 400 megawatts of electricity, enough to power about 75,000 homes annually.

“We are excited to partner with SOLV Energy LLC for this phase of Mammoth,” Amit Nadkarni, vice president of project management at Doral, said in written remarks. “It has been a challenging year in the solar industry and we are happy to have the SOLV Energy team by our side as we navigate through these challenges. We will be mobilizing this month, and we look forward to the construction of this project over the next 15-18 months and adding 400 MWs of clean energy to the grid.”

The first phase is expected to be operational in mid-2023. A Power Purchase Agreement with Ohio-based AEP Energy was inked just over a year ago.

When complete, the entire Mammoth Solar project is expected to generate 1.3 gigawatts of power, or enough to power 175,000 homes in Indiana and Illinois.

KNOX, Ind. (Inside INdiana Business) — Israel-based Doral Renewables LLC has received more investment for its massive solar project in northwest Indiana. Migdal Insurance, also based in Israel, says it has committed up to $75 million in additional funding in the second phase of the Mammoth Solar project, bringing its total direct investment to $175 million.

Mammoth Solar is a $1.5 billion project being built on 13,000 acres in Starke and Pulaski counties. Officials broke ground in October on the project’s first phase, which is expected to produce 400 megawatts of energy when it becomes operational.

Migdal’s new investment commitment is being made in exchange for a 22.5% ownership stake in the project. The second phase, construction for which is expected to begin this year, will be able to produce 300 megawatts of electricity when operational.

“We are delighted to deepen our investment in Doral LLC’s activities,” said Erez Migdali, deputy chief investment officer and head of private assets at Migdal. “This significant, growing partnership is an indication of our trust in the renewables industry and in Doral. I have no doubts that this deal, signed in the first days of 2022, is the first among many new investments we intend to promote in the upcoming year.”

Mammoth Solar, which will also include a third phase, will ultimately have the capacity to generate 1.65 gigawatts of power, or enough electricity to power some 175,000 homes in Indiana and Illinois.

KNOX, Ind. (Inside Indiana Business) – Israel-based Doral Renewables LLC has broken ground on the first phase of a $1.5 billion solar farm in Starke and Pulaski counties. The developer says the 1.65 gigawatt Mammoth Solar project will create 50 full-time jobs by 2023 and ultimately generate enough clean energy to power 175,000 homes in Indiana and Illinois.

The first phase of the project represents a $475 million investment that will produce 400 megawatts of electricity when it becomes operational, which is expected to be in mid-2023. The Indiana Economic Development Corp. says the project is also projected to remove 40,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions and conserve 1 billion gallons of irrigation well water annually.

“This project will be a model for solar energy in Indiana and the Midwest as a whole,” said Nick Cohen, chief executive officer of Doral. “The 400 megawatts of energy produced here during the first phase of the project is enough to power 75,000 Midwestern households and will infuse millions of much-needed dollars into local Indiana communities. Support from local landowners and community leaders was also instrumental in making this project happen, and we look forward to working with them for decades to come.”

The IEDC says Mammoth Solar will be the largest solar farm in the U.S. Phases two and three of the project are expected to begin next year and draw $1 billion in additional investments.

“Knowing Indiana will continue to play a key role in the global energy sector while creating real change in our Hoosier communities is empowering,” Governor Eric Holcomb said in a news release. “It’s encouraging to witness the power industry moving toward reliable, affordable and ever more clean renewable energy sources for generations of Hoosiers to come.”

Ohio-based AEP Energy has already inked power purchase agreements for the first and second phases of the project.

In addition to the 50 full-time jobs, the project is expected to create 500 construction jobs over the next few years. The IEDC says it is working with Doral Renewables to finalize tax incentives for the project. Starke and Pulaski counties are also considering incentives.

KNOX, Ind. (Inside INdiana Business) — Israel-based Doral Renewables LLC will Thursday break ground on the first phase of a massive solar project in Starke and Pulaski counties. When complete, Doral says the Mammoth Solar will be able to produce 1.3 gigawatts of clean energy.

Mammoth Solar will ultimately cover 13,000 acres of land. Ohio-based AEP Energy has already inked power purchase agreements for the first and second phases of the project.

The first phase of the project, known as Mammoth Solar I, is expected to be complete by the summer of 2023.

Governor Eric Holcomb and Indiana Secretary of Commerce Brad Chambers will be on hand for the groundbreaking ceremony, which is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. local time in Knox.

KNOX, Ind. (AP/WISH) — State police say two northern Indiana deputies fatally shot a 63-year-old man after he allegedly drove toward officers he was trying to elude following an attempted traffic stop.

Indiana State Police, who are investigating the shooting, say the pursuit began just before midnight Thursday when a Marshall County Sheriff’s deputy tried to stop a red Chevrolet pickup truck for a traffic violation, but the driver later identified as Jeffrey L. Marvin of Valparaiso drove away from the deputy. A pursuit followed into adjacent Starke County.

Police say two Marshall County deputies fatally shot Marvin there after he allegedly drove toward officers who had exited their vehicles. The truck also collided with two Plymouth Police Department vehicles and a Marshall County Sheriff’s Department vehicle.

Marvin was taken to Memorial Hospital in South Bend, where he died.

The identity of the involved deputies will be made at a later date, state police said in a news release.