A new solar farm in Tooele County that began operating in May will now allow Utah Valley University to operate its campus with 92% renewable energy.

The Elektron solar farm, which is operated by Rocky Mountain Power, first broke ground in 2021, according to a press release from UVU.

In addition to serving UVU, the solar farm also will provide power to Salt Lake City, Summit County, Park City, Deer Valley Resort and Park City Mountain Resort. The 80-megawatt solar farm sits on about 550 acres west of the Great Salt Lake and is managed by the Utah Trust Lands Administration.

According to a press release from UVU, the new resource will help the university reduce its carbon footprint and reach its goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2050.

The solar farm also will allow Deer Valley Resort to operate with 80% renewable energy and Park City Mountain at 100%, The Salt Lake Tribune reported.

“We are thankful for the partnership with Rocky Mountain Power that enables us to continue to make great strides towards our commitment to energy efficiency and reducing our carbon footprint in Utah Valley,” said UVU President Astrid Tuminez in a press release. “We are proud to do our share towards cleaner air in Utah and a greener and more sustainable environment.”

During a press conference in June to celebrate the opening of the solar farm, Dick Garlish, president of Rocky Mountain Power, said the project is one of the largest solar farms to connect to the power company and thanked the partners involved, including UVU.

“We’re also proud to be a part of the collaboration that went on to make this happen,” he said at the press conference. “That’s a lot of different interests and a lot of the different drivers coming together to do something that provides value to communities, to utility, to the state, and we’re super excited about that.”

In a press release from UVU, university student Kaleb Rodriguez said the project is an example of “actions speaking louder than words.”

“I took pride in knowing that we were the only educational institution invested in this project. UVU’s goals have continued to go beyond discussion and into action, and that is just one of the many reasons why I love this school,” he said.

UVU first committed to becoming carbon neutral by 2050 in 2018 after passing a resolution on sustainability.