Construction on Enel North America’s more than $1 billion solar cell and panel manufacturing plant in northeast Oklahoma is expected to get underway in the next few months.
The factory will be located in Inola and Enel is in the process of completing the engineering and design phase of the 2-million-square-foot plant. Enel announced plans for the plant in November of last year, stating at the time that the plant would be one of the largest solar photovoltaic manufacturing operations in the U.S.
An estimated 1,500 new jobs would be created with the plant and originally, Enel had hoped to begin construction in the first half of this year. It also expected to produce and make available the first panel by the end of 2024.
However, now the company expects to see the start of production by the end of 2025, according to Giovanni Bertolino, head of 3Sun US who was interviewed by the Journal Record.
Enel is receiving $180 million in tax rebates approved by the state legislature, but will first have to spend $1.8 billion in capital expenditures and create 1,400 permanent jobs.