Meta Partners Works with Silicon Ranch on Seven New Ga., Tenn. Solar Projects

Meta Platforms Inc. has declared seven new solar projects in Georgia and Tennessee totaling 720 MW AC to support its regional operations with 100% renewable energy. Silicon Ranch is partnering with Walton Electric Membership Corp. (EMC) and the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) to supply the renewable power to serve Meta’s data centers in Georgia and the Tennessee Valley, respectively. As part of the agreements, Silicon Ranch will fund, build, own, operate and maintain the solar facilities over the life of each of the seven projects.

In Georgia, Walton EMC recently executed contracts with Silicon Ranch on behalf of Meta (formerly the Facebook company) for three new solar facilities totaling 560 MW AC as part of the electric cooperative’s agreement to supply Meta with 100% renewable energy. Silicon Ranch will work with Walton EMC to deliver projects in each of the next three years to support Meta’s operations.

“We are proud of the work we have done with Walton EMC and TVA to accelerate the transition to renewables in Georgia and the Tennessee Valley,” says Urvi Parekh, head of renewable energy at Meta. “As we continue to support our global operations with 100 percent renewable energy, we are pleased to expand our partnership with Silicon Ranch, a trusted partner who shares our commitment to have a positive impact on the communities where we locate.”

TVA recently signed agreements with Silicon Ranch on behalf of Meta for four new solar facilities in Tennessee totaling 160 MW AC under TVA’s Green Invest program, which helps customers such as Meta meet their long-term sustainability goals with new utility-scale solar projects located within the Tennessee Valley. Silicon Ranch will partner with TVA and local power companies to deliver all four projects in 2024 to support Meta’s operations in Tennessee and Alabama.

“Silicon Ranch is honored by the confidence and trust that Meta continues to place in our company to execute on their behalf, and we are grateful to be part of this compelling economic development story with them as well as with our utility partners Walton EMC and TVA,” states Reagan Farr, president and CEO of Silicon Ranch. “Meta’s commitment to support their operations with 100 percent renewable energy is directly responsible for our own commitment to invest more than $2.3 billion across more than a dozen rural communities in Georgia, Tennessee and Kentucky. As a company that calls this region home, we look forward to being active members of each community for decades to come.”

The announcement of the seven new projects coincides with the nearing completion of two additional solar facilities by Silicon Ranch that serve Meta’s operations: the 125 MW AC DeSoto I Solar Farm in partnership with Walton EMC in Lee County, Georgia, and the 70 MW AC McKellar Solar Farm with TVA in Madison County, Tennessee. Despite supply chain constraints that caused project delays across the solar industry, Silicon Ranch placed both projects in service on schedule, a feat the company has accomplished with every project it has signed since beginning operations in 2011.

“As an electric cooperative, Walton EMC is driven by our ‘concern for community’ and our devotion to serving the needs of our member-owners, and our partnership with Meta and Silicon Ranch enables us to honor our commitments to these principles and values,” comments Ronnie Lee, CEO of Walton EMC. “Walton EMC is proud of the meaningful work we are doing together, and we are grateful to each of our partners for the significant investments they are making in our service territory and across the state, reinforcing and strengthening Georgia’s claim as the number one state for business.”

Including the seven projects announced, Meta is partnering with Silicon Ranch on 16 solar facilities to serve its operations in Georgia and the Tennessee Valley. In total, the portfolio has a capacity of approximately 1,500 MW AC. Eight of the projects are now operational, generating approximately 630 MW AC of solar energy, and each of the plants integrates Silicon Ranch’s transformative Regenerative Energy model of land management, a holistic approach to design, construction and operations that co-locates renewable energy production with regenerative agriculture practices.

“TVA is building the energy system of the future, and this public-private partnership with Meta and Silicon Ranch demonstrates the strength of TVA’s public power model to attract capital investment and high-quality jobs into the communities we serve while helping businesses meet their sustainability goals,” said Doug Perry, Senior Vice President of Commercial Energy Solutions for TVA. “We thank our partners Meta and Silicon Ranch for sharing our commitment to make our region the best place in the country to live, work, and raise a family.”

Original Source: https://solarindustrymag.com/meta-partners-works-with-silicon-ranch-on-seven-new-ga-tenn-solar-projects