Clay Solar Project

Summary

The 106 MW_AC 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

We also worked with local biologists prior to construction to identify the gopher tortoise dens in the area. This allowed us to create a construction plan that protected the tortoises and their habitat while we relocated them to the nearby private gopher tortoise sanctuary that Silicon Ranch developed and funded in partnership with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR). Together, Silicon Ranch and the Georgia DNR have provided a home for thousands of tortoises from the surrounding area, and we have room for more.

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

Green Power EMC, Silicon Ranch, and Community Officials Dedicate 106-Megawatt Clay Solar Project in South Georgia

Press Coverage

What Our Stakeholders Are Saying

“Silicon Ranch’s decision to invest more than $100 million in Clay County was one of the most significant events we have had in decades, and we are thrilled with the productive partnership they have developed with Green Power EMC and our own White Oak Pastures. In the years to come, the Clay Solar project will contribute millions of dollars in new tax revenues to support local infrastructure, our school district, and our development authority. Most importantly, Silicon Ranch is further investing in our future by providing scholarships for the students of the Clay County School System.”

Trey Anderson, Former Clay County Development Authority Chairman

“Georgia’s EMCs continue to grow their renewable energy portfolio with low-cost solar power projects that deliver value to their members and the rural communities the facilities are located in. By working together, EMCs are helping to meet the growing renewable energy demands of Georgia’s homes and businesses, while supporting economic development in some of the state’s most rural communities.”

Jeff Pratt, Green Power EMC President

“The Clay Solar Project is special to Silicon Ranch for a number of reasons, but I am personally grateful that it provided our introduction to White Oak Pastures and the benefits of regenerative land management.”

Reagan Farr, Silicon Ranch Co-Founder and CEO

“There are no losers in this deal. The Silicon Ranch land will remain pastoral. Our rural community gets much-needed jobs, and a new renewable energy project to be proud of. With the help of our pre-seeding of the site, Green Power EMC and Silicon Ranch will sequester even more soil carbon and create a record of the ecological impact for others to repeat.”

Will Harris, White Oak Pastures Owner

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