DARIEN TOWNSHIP — The Darien Solar Energy Center, along Highway 14 south of Darien, is up and running — and now providing power to customers.

The 250-megawatt project in Walworth and Rock counties features more than 600,000 solar panels capable of providing enough energy to power about 75,000 homes, according to a news release from We Energies.

The project went into service this week. It was built primarily by Wisconsin union workers.

This is We Energies’ second large scale solar project to power up in recent months. The Paris Solar Energy Center in Kenosha County went online in December. We Energies is also partial owner in the state’s largest solar park, Badger Hollow Solar in Iowa County.

“Our customers count on us to deliver reliable energy — it’s our job to provide it safely 24 hours a day, 365 days a year,” said Mike Hooper, president — We Energies. “These new solar projects, along with our planned investments in low-carbon natural gas power plants and more renewable energy, will continue to support reliability and economic growth across the state.”

The solar panels at the Darien Solar Energy Center move and track the sun throughout the day, maximizing power generation. The panels also capture solar energy on both sides — an especially useful feature in winter when sun reflects off the snow and onto the panels.

The Darien Solar Energy Center will provide both immediate and long-term savings to We Energies customers. The facility is already eligible for federal tax credits that will provide millions of dollars per year of savings to customers. And since the facility is powered by the sun, it does not require outside fuel, further reducing costs.

We Energies is the majority owner of the project. Wisconsin Public Service and Madison Gas and Electric are also co-owners.

The project was developed by U.S.-based Invenergy, a leading global developer, owner and operator of clean energy solutions.