Developer says Green River Energy Center near mechanical completion; CRA confirms hiring incentive and triggers
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Summary
Rplus Energies told the CRA the Green River Energy Center is near mechanical completion and expects commercial operations in spring; board approved an estoppel certificate, a letter confirming a 5% local-hiring incentive and a Jan. 1, 2026 trigger for tax-increment collection.
Rplus Energies updated the Emery County Community Reinvestment Agency on Dec. 16, saying construction of the Green River Energy Center is substantially complete and on track for commercial operation in spring.
"It's a 400 megawatt PV, 400 megawatt 4 hour or 1,600 megawatt hour battery project," Theresa Foxley, chief of staff for Rplus Energies, told the board, describing the project as one of the largest of its type under construction and noting roughly 1,000,000 solar panels and about 484 Tesla Megapacks on the site. Foxley said the project has employed hundreds during peak construction and that the company expects to hire locally for operations, working with subcontractors and workforce programs.
Local contractors described the project’s local economic effects. Tate Jensen of TSJ Construction said his company has been engaged on Rplus projects for years and now employs roughly 100 people, adding that the project helped stabilize local employment and prompted local hiring.
On the agenda the board approved an estoppel certificate request from Green River Energy Center LLC confirming the developer has met participation-agreement requirements and is eligible to receive tax-increment revenues. Separately, the board approved a letter confirming the developer’s qualification for a 5% local-hiring tax-increment incentive and approved the developer’s requested trigger date of Jan. 1, 2026 for collection of tax increment associated with the project.
CRA staff said the incentive was included in the 2026 budget the board adopted earlier in the meeting. Staff also noted statutory notice requirements that will be sent to taxing entities and the Utah State Tax Commission when the project triggers.
The board heard additional commitments from Rplus about community investments, including a combined $375,000 scholarship program for Utah State University Eastern students; Foxley said nine scholarship recipients have already been named. Rplus also invited board members and the public to site tours and said it will continue monthly construction updates.