Summary
The 106 MWAC Clay Solar Project in Bluffton, Georgia, built, owned, and operated by Silicon Ranch on behalf of Green Power EMC, generates reliable, low-cost energy that is shared by 30 electric membership corporations from across the state and helps serve more than 16,000 Georgia households annually. When the Clay Solar Project was announced in 2018, Will Harris, the owner of neighboring farm White Oak Pastures, invited Silicon Ranch to visit his land. He introduced the company leadership to regenerative land management practices such as planned livestock grazing that his family has been implementing at White Oak Pastures for more than two decades. The result was a new partnership and an innovative model for the solar industry that Silicon Ranch calls Regenerative Energy®, its holistic approach to project design, construction, and land management to improve soil health, biodiversity, and water quality.
Land Stewardship
Silicon Ranch began its work to improve soil health and establish a functioning grassland ecosystem at Clay Solar Project before construction of the project began. We engaged our local partner, White Oak Pastures, to no-till drill seed a diverse seed mix of perennial grasses, legumes, and forbs, plus annual cover crops. This regenerative land management practice provided soil health, water management, and biodiversity benefits that persist before, during, and after construction.
Gopher Tortoise Protection
Facts & Figures
106 MWac
Locally Produced Renewable Energy Capacity
16,000
Georgia Homes that Clay Solar Farm can Power Annually
600
Acres of Land Regeneratively Managed to Restore Soil Health
$160,000,000
Capital Investment for Local Economic Growth
$7,000,000
New Tax Revenues over 40 Years to Fund Local Priorities
330
Jobs Created
Read About Clay Solar Project
From Silicon Ranch
Press Coverage
- Early County News: Green Power EMC, Silicon Ranch and community officials dedicate 106-Megawatt Clay Solar Project in South Georgia
- Solar Power World: Silicon Ranch constructs 106-MW solar project for Georgia utility
- PV magazine: South Georgia 106 MW regenerative agrivoltaic project at White Oak Pastures