The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) says the new 70 MW solar facility in Madison County, Tenn., will support Facebook’s operations in the region. TVA is partnering with Nashville-based solar developer Silicon Ranch to develop the carbon-free energy.
“TVA is building the energy system of the future by contracting 1,300 MW of utility-scale solar in the past two years,” says Chris Hansen, vice president of origination and renewables at TVA.
“This public-private partnership demonstrates the strength of TVA’s public power model to deliver renewable energy at a competitive price to stimulate investment and jobs that help communities grow across the seven states we serve,” he adds.
Silicon Ranch will fund construction of the solar facility and will own and operate the plant. The project will create more than 350 construction jobs, with additional employment for ongoing operations and maintenance, including ranchers and farmers to care for the land as part of Silicon Ranch’s holistic approach to land management.
The facility is expected to come online in fall 2022, with planned interconnection to the TVA grid through the Jackson Energy Authority distribution system, pending environmental reviews.
Facebook will support all of its operations with 100% renewable energy by the end of the year. The Madison County project is part of TVA’s Green Invest program, which helps customers like Facebook meet their long-term sustainability goals with new renewable energy projects.
In 2018, Facebook collaborated with TVA to pioneer the Green Invest program. Since January, Green Invest has generated $1.6 billion in economic activity in TVA’s service territory.
This Facebook announcement comes on the heels of three other major Green Invest deals this year: General Motors, Vanderbilt University and Knoxville Utilities Board.
Photo: A rendering of the Madison County solar project