by Michael J. Marino
Located off Alkali Creek Road in Billings, MTSUN is the state’s largest solar energy facility with the capacity to produce up to 80 Megawatts (MW) of electricity – enough to power around 12,000 homes each year.
The 489-acre MTSUN project was completed in November 2022. It is now set to produce enough electricity to power about 12,000 homes each year. (Courtesy photo)
“Right now, it’s producing at almost its full capacity every single day,” said MTSUN developer, Mark Klein.
MTSUN is a project which began around 2016, when Klein saw a need for renewable energy in Billings, as it has the largest population in the state and, therefore, the highest demand for electricity. Six years ago, when Klein and his business partners found the 489-acre Alkali Creek property, they noticed it had “easy access” to a nearby power substation.
“There’s a lot of private land out there,” added Klein, “and that’s kind of the key, to avoid federal and state land. That is an easier path to getting permits, frankly.”
While it was expected to be built by 2018, changes to state law delayed the project significantly. The MTSUN project has since been sold from Broad Reach Power to Greenbacker Renewable Energy and has now been online since November 2022. So far, it operates at or near its full capacity each day, according to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA).
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