Tech giant Meta has partnered with independent power producer (IPP) Silicon Ranch to build seven solar projects in Georgia and Tennessee with a capacity of 720MW.
In partnership with utilities Walton Electric Membership Corporation (EMC) and the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) the plants will support Meta’s data centres in the region with 100% renewable energy.
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Silicon Ranch will fund, build, own, operate, and maintain the solar facilities over their lifecycle.
This is not the first time the companies have partnered in Georgia, with Walton EMC and Silicon Ranch working on several solar plants to supply Meta’s operations in the state and with a total capacity of 287MW which were completed in December 2021.
This time Walton EMC has signed contracts with the IPP on behalf of Meta for three utility-scale plants for 560MW capacity and with the projects to be delivered in each of the next three years. While the agreements between TVA and Silicon Ranch are for a capacity of 160MW and four solar plants that are set to be delivered in 2024 and will support Meta’s operations in Tennessee and Alabama.
Including the seven projects announced in Georgia and Tennessee, Meta and Silicon Ranch are partnering on 16 solar PV plants with a portfolio of nearly 1.5GW, eight of which are already operational and generating 630MW of solar capacity.
Meta has been leading the commercial solar segment in the US and grew its offtake solar capacity by 380% since the end of 2019, according to a report from trade body the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA).
Reagan Farr, president and CEO of Silicon Ranch, said: “Meta’s commitment to support their operations with 100% renewable energy is directly responsible for our own commitment to invest more than US$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 coincides with the near completion of two Silicon Ranch solar plants that will supply the electricity to Meta with a 125MW solar farm in Lee County, Georgia and a 70MW utility-scale solar one in Madison County, Tennessee.
Each of the solar facilities serving Meta incorporates “a holistic approach that co-locates renewable energy production with regenerative agriculture practices”, the company said in a media release.