US renewable energy developer Leeward Renewable Energy has started commercial operations at its 177MW Ridgely solar project in the US state of Tennessee.
The project is the company’s first to reach commercial operations in the state, and will supply power to the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) under what Leeward called a “long-term agreement”. Leeward also collaborated with US companies Nextracker and First Solar for the project, using the former’s Horizon-XTR trackers and the latter’s modules.
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“By building on our long-standing relationships with US technology leaders, prioritising domestic jobs and manufacturing, and integrating innovative solutions that reduce impacts and speed deployment, Ridgely shows how forward-looking projects can strengthen the communities where we operate and contribute to our nation’s long-term energy security,” said Leeward chief commercial officer Eran Mahrer.
While Leeward did not specify which of First Solar’s modules are used at the project, the continued collaboration between US-based companies is a positive development for the US solar sector.
The government’s escalation of tariffs and duties on products sourced from foreign countries, particularly those in Southeast Asia, include critical components of the solar supply chain. While many commentators have expressed concern about the impacts of these policies on the US renewables industry, US-based companies, such as T1 Energy, have praised the moves as a “boost” to domestic US manufacturing.
The collaboration also builds on a longstanding relationship between Leeward and First Solar, that saw the latter’s modules used at the Big Plain Solar plant in Ohio, and the companies agree to a module supply deal back in 2022, prior to the second Trump administration.
The start of commercial operations at the Ridgely project is also a benefit to the Tennessee solar sector, which had just 925MW of operational capacity as of the second quarter of this year and had seen capacity additions slow in recent years. The majority of installations in the state were completed in 2022 and 2023, with more than 200MW of capacity added each year, but less than 50MW added in 2024 and 2025 combined.
