Solar Panel Company to Invest More Than $1 Billion at Port of Inola

An Italy-based clean energy company is investing more than $1 billion in what has been labeled the biggest economic development project in Oklahoma history.

Enel North America chose the Port of Inola as site for one of the largest solar cell and panel manufacturing plants in the nation, the company and its affiliate, 3Sun USA LLC, announced Monday.

Construction on the more than 2-million-square-foot factory is expected to begin in the fall, and Enel plans to start manufacturing solar panels by the end of 2024. The project is expected to create more than 1,800 construction jobs, as well as 1,000 new permanent jobs by 2025.

Talks about the factory began last May when Tulsa Regional Chamber and Commerce Department officials met with Enel executives during the PGA Championship at Southern Hills Country Club.

“Enel North America has a global reputation for blazing new trails with clean energy, and this long-term commitment to Oklahoma as a solar panel supplier will shine a light on the Port of Inola and its ability to accommodate large-scale development,” Arthur Jackson, senior vice president of economic development for the Chamber, said in a statement.