, a sustainable investment and operating company, are proud to announce the successful completion of the Goldenrod Solar Project in Mercer County. The five-megawatt, 38-acre solar array is projected to deliver $5.8 million in community benefits over the next 15 years. Goldenrod Solar is proud to have been selected as an Illinois Shines Community-Driven Community Solar (CDCS) project for bringing significant direct, tangible benefits to its local community.

“This new solar project highlights our commitment to local communities,” said Brian Matthay, managing director, Cultivate Power. “The Goldenrod Solar Project is an excellent example of how Cultivate Power’s solar projects empower local residents and community partners.”

Goldenrod marks the arrival of a new community solar project offering 850 local solar subscribers up to $3.6 million in lower energy costs through 10-20% in electricity bill savings. Subscribers live in Mercer County and the surrounding counties of Rock Island, Henry, Knox, Warren and Henderson, and have joined the project at no cost. Goldenrod supports low- and moderate-income households, who make up 55% of overall project subscribers. Solstice, a leading community solar provider, is handling enrollment for the Goldenrod Solar Project. To learn more about subscribing to Goldenrod or another Illinois community solar project, visit 

“Goldenrod is about more than resilient energy — it’s about investing in people and places,” said Peggy Flannery, managing director, Generate Capital. “From workforce training and scholarships to savings on electricity bills and support for local institutions, this project demonstrates how infrastructure can deliver real, lasting value to the communities in which they operate. We’re honored to be part of something that strengthens Mercer County for the long term.”

As part of their shared commitment to strengthening local communities, Cultivate Power and Generate Capital have committed $600,000 in scholarships, grants and contributions to local Mercer County organizations over the next 12 years. Beneficiaries include Black Hawk College Foundation, Greene Township Fire Protection District, Sherrard High School and Mercer County High School Future Farmers of America chapters, Living Lands & Waters, and Mercer County Better Together.

“We are thrilled to be partnering with Cultivate and Generate to establish the Goldenrod Solar Scholarship,” said Zenaida Landeros, executive director, Black Hawk College Foundation. “Their contributions over the next 12 years will not only create annual scholarships for Mercer County students but will also establish a healthy endowment at both the Quad Cities and East campuses for the scholarship to continue on indefinitely.”

Other community benefits include property tax payments estimated to exceed $360,000 in the first 15 years of the project life, benefitting Sherrard CUSD 200, Greene Fire Protection District and the Viola Public Library District among others, as well as 101 individuals who were employed in the construction of the project, and $1.5 million over six years to the Evolve Foundation (formerly known as 

) to deliver solar construction workforce training and wraparound services for formerly incarcerated and other system-impacted individuals. The foundation has already graduated 50 students funded by the Goldenrod project from three-month intensive training programs and helped place 40 of them into solar industry jobs.

The Goldenrod Solar Project is located on a 38-acre portion of a 250-acre property owned by Bob and Annette Essary, who live on the property in a home they built 26 years ago. Bob and his partner will continue to farm the 60 remaining tillable acres on the property and will cultivate hay around the fence of the solar project. The Essary family assisted in planning the solar project, and participated in county and township meetings during the project planning phase.

“We decided to move forward with the solar lease because we saw a need to diversify the value of our land,” said Bob and Annette. “Now we have stable, long-term income from solar rent with our remaining acres available for corn, soybeans and hay. We are thinking about what we are leaving behind for our grandkids and future generations. Plus, we’re alumni of Black Hawk College ourselves, so we are grateful to Cultivate and Generate for giving back to the college and other local organizations.”

Goldenrod was developed by Cultivate Power and is owned and operated by Generate Capital. A portion of the community solar project is made possible through the 

 (CEJA) passed by the Illinois State Legislature in 2021. The CEJA supports clean energy industry job training and business growth, and seeks to help Illinois communities impacted by environmental damage.

Solar farm in Mercer County, Illinois will power hundreds of homes & businesses

Cultivate Power, and Generate Capital, a sustainable investment powerhouse, have pledged over $150,000 to Black Hawk College (BHC) to establish a new scholarship program as part of Goldenrod Solar's local community investment. This significant contribution underscores their shared commitment to community development and education.

The scholarship program kicked off with smaller individual scholarship funding in 2023, and has recently expanded  with a multi-year $150,000 pledge from Generate and Cultivate Power. The new 39-acre solar project, which Generate owns and will operate, will also provide access to solar energy for Mercer County businesses and residents.

The scholarship, specifically for students from Mercer County, aims to alleviate financial barriers and empower students to pursue higher education. By fostering access to learning opportunities, the scholarship not only invests in individual students but also strengthens the community by cultivating future leaders and skilled professionals.

This partnership reflects both organizations’ alignment that solar generation plants should do more than address climate change, but also are a means for community enrichment. 

BHC continues to play a pivotal role in providing accessible education and professional development opportunities across its campuses, and this scholarship adds to its legacy of supporting student success.

For more details about the pledge and scholarship opportunities at BHC, visit 

Empowering local futures with funding from Goldenrod Solar

, a distributed solar and storage project developer committed to strengthening communities, the grid and climate stability, today announced it has secured a corporate equity investment of $10 million from 

, a leading sustainable investment and operating company driving the infrastructure transition. This investment demonstrates the companies’ shared commitment to deploying distributed clean energy projects that deliver affordable power to communities across the country and boost local economies.

“We have worked with the founders of Cultivate Power for many years and are thrilled to invest in the company to support its growth. Cultivate Power’s strong project portfolio, experienced leadership team and focus on distributed clean power projects align with Generate’s mission to accelerate the infrastructure transition,” said Peggy Flannery, Managing Director at Generate Capital. 

The corporate equity commitment from Generate Capital provides Cultivate Power with the resources needed to grow its business. The investment will be used to expand the development of solar and storage projects, recruit top talent, and support local partnerships that benefit the environment and local communities, including scholarship and workforce development programs. 

Led by long-time colleagues and renewable energy development professionals Brian Matthay and Noah Hyte, Cultivate Power develops 10- to 50-acre distributed solar and storage projects that generate substantial social and economic impacts in rural communities. Cultivate Power believes that to maximize climate and community benefits, project development must start locally in collaboration with each community. 

“Generate is a perfect fit for us. They have a strong track record dating back to their early investment and innovation in community solar markets. They share our belief that carefully developed clean power projects can provide significant community benefits such as low-cost power, increased tax revenue, job training programs, and a wide variety of partnerships and funding for community organizations,” said Noah Hyte, Managing Director of Cultivate Power.

Cultivate Power is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, with local development teams  throughout the Midwest and California. To learn more about Cultivate Power, please visit 

. For more information on  Generate Capital, please visit 

Cultivate Power is a distributed solar and storage project developer committed to strengthening communities, the grid, and climate stability. The company is uniquely focused on developing 10- to 50-acre solar and storage projects on farmland and infill. Led by long-time renewable energy professionals Brian Matthay and Noah Hyte, Cultivate Power and its in-market development teams operate with the belief that climate challenges can be better addressed by prioritizing the local benefits of distributed clean power. For more information, please visit 

Generate Capital, PBC is a leading sustainable investment and operating company driving the infrastructure transition. Generate builds, owns, operates and finances clean energy, transportation, water, waste, agriculture and digital infrastructure. Founded in 2014, Generate has partnered with over 50 technology and project developers and owns and operates more than 2,000 assets globally. Generate is the one-stop-shop offering pioneers of the infrastructure revolution tailored funding and support needed to get projects built. The company’s Infrastructure-as-a-Service model delivers affordable, reliable and sustainable resources to thousands of customers, companies, communities, school districts and universities. Together, we are rebuilding the world. For more information, please visit 

Cultivate Power secures $10 million equity investment from Generate Capital

Connect with us to get the conversation started!

Have a question for our team?

Blog & News

Solar farm in Mercer County, Illinois will power hundreds of homes & businesses

Empowering local futures with funding from Goldenrod Solar

Cultivate Power secures $10 million equity investment from Generate Capital