SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 9, 2021 ForeFront Power, a leading developer of distributed solar and energy storage projects in the U.S., today announced the commercial operation of the largest solar project in Kane County, Ill. With 7,384 panels, the 2.8-megawatt project delivers power to the Mooseheart Child City and School (Mooseheart), a non-profit residential childcare facility for children and teens in need. The project created more than 44 jobs during the construction and operation phases.

The Mooseheart solar project received incentives through the state’s Adjustable Block Program (ABP), which was established by the Future Energy Jobs Act to support the development of new photovoltaic distributed generation and community solar projects in Illinois. While the program has been successful in helping generate new clean electricity in the state, the funding for the program has been exhausted and must be renewed for the state to see uninterrupted growth in the sector.

“Industries that create jobs in Illinois should stay in Illinois,” said Rep. Keith Wheeler of Illinois’ 50th district. “The Mooseheart solar project is a testament to the job-creation engine that solar energy has become in our state over the past few years as a result of the Future Energy Jobs Act. The Mooseheart organization is a treasure in the Fox Valley for a long list of reasons, and their leadership of building one of the largest solar projects in our local area is just the latest example of why.”

“Since we are a non-profit organization funded through the generosity of donors, every dollar counts. We are very pleased to partner with ForeFront Power in this opportunity to demonstrate strong fiscal stewardship, and with the money saved over the next 25 years of the solar project’s life, we’ll be able to reinvest those dollars into other programs in order to better serve our youth,” said executive director of Mooseheart, Gary Urwiler. “We understand that clean air and a healthy environment are linked to a child’s potential for success, so it aligns squarely within our mission to offset 114 million pounds of carbon emissions with this energy project, directly contributing to cleaner air and a better overall environment for the young children and teens we serve every day.”

“Mooseheart Child City & School is an organization with an inspiring mission to care for and educate youth in need,” said Chris Wall, director of construction for ForeFront Power. “The ForeFront Power team was honored to build this project to help Mooseheart save money and demonstrate energy leadership.”

Mooseheart’s solar project is a single ground-mounted project sited on a 1,000-acre campus located 38 miles west of Chicago. Progressive Energy Group of Aurora, Ill., helped Mooseheart Child City and School source this clean electricity deal and oversaw the endeavor from inception to completion. SolAmerica served as ForeFront Power’s engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) partner on the Mooseheart project.

Hear from Gary Urwiler, the Executive Director of Mooseheart Child City & School, to learn why solar energy is so important for their unique community.

About ForeFront Power

ForeFront Power is a leader in the United States for solar and energy storage solutions. The ForeFront Power team holds more than a decade of experience working together across nearly one gigawatt-DC (GW) of renewable electricity, spanning more than 1,300 distributed generation and community solar projects. Serving business, the public sector, and community solar customers in the U.S. and Mexico, ForeFront Power is headquartered in San Francisco, with offices in New York City and Mexico City. ForeFront Power is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mitsui & Co. Ltd., a global energy infrastructure and investment leader with a robust balance sheet and an “A” credit rating from Standard & Poor’s. For more information, visit forefrontpower.com.

About Mooseheart Child City & School

Mooseheart is a residential childcare facility, located on a 1,000-acre campus 38 miles west of Chicago. The Child City is a home for children and teens in need, from infancy through high school. Dedicated in July 1913 by the Moose fraternal organization, Mooseheart cares for youth whose families are unable, for a wide variety of reasons, to care for them. Some have lost one or both parents; others are living in environments that are simply not conducive to healthy growth and development. Whatever the reason, the men and women of the Moose, through unparalleled generosity and volunteerism, furnish the resources necessary to care for children in need. The Moose fraternity provides children with a wholesome home-like environment and the best possible training and education.

About Progressive Energy Group

Progressive Energy Group is the premier provider of energy auditing services to reduce operating costs without upfront capital spend. Our team has over 75 years of utility and energy supplier expertise leveraging proprietary methodologies to lower operating costs immediately.

Press Contact

James Cortese for ForeFront Power
media@forefrontpower.com