The juice is flowing.
Four months after it began work on a pair of solar farms near the Lowndes County Industrial Park, Silicon Ranch Corporation announced it is generating electricity. According to the company, the two facilities can generate 1.6 megawatts of electricity, enough to power more than 200 homes.
The solar farms are a part of TVA’s Solar Solutions Initiative, a program designed to promote cost-competitive renewable energy while helping attract new industry to the area.
“TVA is committed to providing renewable energy in a way that best serves the nine million people of the Valley,” Cindy Herron, VP Energy Rights Solutions and Renewables, said in a press release. “TVA renewable energy programs like SSI help bring key stakeholders, local power companies, and solar developers together to generate clean energy in a thoughtful and collaborative manner.”
The Lowndes County Industrial Development Authority, 4-County Electric Power Association and the Golden Triangle Development LINK are working with Silicon Ranch on the project, which was announced in May and approved by the Public Service Commission in July. Work began on the two farms in September. The two facilities feature a combined 5,000 single access tracking panels, which “follow” the path of the sun throughout daylight hours then reset when the sun goes down.
The electricity produced by the solar farms is connected to TVA’s power grid by 4-County Electric.
Nashville, Tennessee-based Silicon Ranch is the largest developer, owner, and operator of solar facilities based in the TVA service area.
Slim Smith is a columnist and feature writer for The Dispatch. His email address is [email protected].
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