Independent power producer (IPP) Silicon Ranch Corporation has selected engineering and consultancy firm Black & Veatch to build a 125MW solar project in Lee County, southwestern Georgia.
Once constructed, the DeSoto I Solar Farm will be “among the biggest solar installations” in the southeastern US, Black & Veatch has claimed.
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Nashville-based Silicon Ranch, which developed and is funding the project, will own, operate and maintain it for the long-term.
The project will integrate Silicon Ranch’s Regenerative Energy land-management model, which co-locates solar energy production with regenerative agriculture practices.
Once construction is complete, Silicon Ranch will restore the land to a functioning grassland ecosystem while keeping the project in agricultural production through managed sheep grazing using regenerative land management practices.
“As renewable energy continues to progress in a world rapidly focusing on decarbonisation, this effort further demonstrates how carbon footprints can be minimised without disrupting the surrounding ecosystem,” said Paul Skurdahl, Black & Veatch senior vice president of renewable solutions.
“This project aligns with our proven record of innovative approaches to delivering clean, affordable energy.”
Silicon Ranch Corporation, which is part owned by oil and gas major Shell, is one of the largest IPPs in the US, with a portfolio that includes more than 4GW of solar and battery energy storage systems (BESS) that are contracted, under construction, or operating across the country.
In January, it raised US$775 million in new equity capital to help progress on its existing project pipeline, enter new markets and pursue acquisitions.
And, at the end of last year, it completed the construction of three utility-scale solar PV projects with a total capacity of 287MW that will be used to power Meta’s (formerly Facebook) operations in Georgia.
