Millington II Solar Farm

Overview of Millington II Solar Farm (Project in Development)

Project Size

74 MWac

New Tax Revenues

More than $4 million

Power Equivalent

~15,000 homes per year

Jobs

As many as 150 construction jobs

Capital Investment

Nearly $200 million*

*Funded by Silicon Ranch; no capital investment is required by the state, county, or utilities

Project Map

Below is a project map that provides an aerial map visual of the site’s location.

Project Map Millington II Solar Farm

Project Summary

SRC-yellow-solar-farm

Q4 2020

TVA awards project

SRC-yellow-home

Q4 2020 – Q3 2022

Environmental Reviews and Permitting

Q3 2023 – Q3 2024

Construction of project

SRC-yellow-fund

Q4 2024

Project is operational

Frequently Asked Questions About the Millington II Solar Farm

Have questions about the Millington II Solar Farm? We’ve compiled a list of common questions about the site, including project facts, maps, and more.

Click on the tabs below to learn more about each subject.

General Project Questions
Project Design
Construction
Operations
Decommissioning

With the support of Shelby County officials, TVA contracted Silicon Ranch to build, own, and operate the Millington II Solar Farm to achieve its renewable energy commitments as part of its ongoing mission to improve the quality of life for people living in the Valley “by providing safe, clean, reliable and affordable electricity and supporting a robust, award-winning economic development policy that has created prosperous communities throughout our region.” This project was awarded to Silicon Ranch, which was founded and is headquartered in the Tennessee Valley, based on the company’s proven track record of delivering 100% of its contracted projects and its deep commitment to the communities it serves.

When we are searching for land to use for a project, we consider several requirements. The land must be relatively flat land, big enough to house the facility, and near an electrical substation or distribution level transmission lines. We choose properties that meet these requirements. This site meets each of those criteria.

The project will benefit TVA, and its and its customers, by providing a reliable and cost-effective source of energy. The entire community will benefit from significant new tax revenues. As the long-term owner of the land where this facility is located, Silicon Ranch is a local taxpayer for the life of the project, while requiring little to no county services in return. In other words, the taxes generated from the project are entirely additive to the tax base. The new revenues support infrastructure, local schools, and other community identified priorities, both immediately and for the long-term. The company expects to make a capital investment of around $200 million in the community through the construction of these projects and to pay more than $4 million dollars in property taxes as the long-term landowner over the life of the 20-year lifetime of the contracted power purchase agreement.

Silicon Ranch maintains a commitment to own and operate every one of our solar projects for the long-term. In the 12-year history of the company, Silicon Ranch has never sold a project, which means Millington can be confident that Silicon Ranch will stand behind the performance of the project day in and day out as a long-term member of the community.

Solar photovoltaic panels are made of tempered glass and pass rigorous hail and other weather testing. The two most common types of solar panels—silicon-based and thin film—are both required to pass the Environmental Protection Agency’s Toxic Leaching Characteristic Procedure test, meaning that these panels are nonhazardous.[2][3]

[2] Southern Environmental Law Center (PDF)

[3] Hindawi

When we search for land for a project, we take several factors into account. The land needs to be relatively flat, of the right scale to meet the needs of our utility partners, and near an electrical substation or distribution level transmission lines. We choose properties that meet these requirements and then work with the landowner to negotiate a price to purchase the property.

Silicon Ranch’s decision to purchase property rather than lease it (which is what most developers do) underscores the company’s long-term commitment to the communities we serve. Many community leaders point to this differentiated approach when asked why they prefer to work with Silicon Ranch. For example, when Silicon Ranch purchased the site for a solar facility in a rural community in southwest Georgia, the Chair of the County Commission said, “When they purchased the property here, they became owners, just like anyone else who owns a house or owns land. They are taxpayers, they are part of the community just like I am.”

Silicon Ranch typically uses the term solar farm, solar project, solar facility, or solar ranch. “solar farm” is a term that is commonly used in the industry to describe the way solar uses land and the sun to harvest a “crop” in the form of energy generation.

Silicon Ranch expects to invest around $200 million to construct the facility. The project requires no capital investment from the community or the utility.

Our project will inject the county with significant new tax revenues—over $4 million—immediately and for the life of the contracted power purchase agreement (20 years). These revenues will support infrastructure and other community-identified priorities and will continue for the duration of the project. During this time, we will also be minimal users of county services such as roads, water, etc. Our significant capital investment in the facility results in higher property taxes paid by Silicon Ranch to the county.

It is a common misconception that ground-mounted solar farms decrease nearby property values.

Third-party studies examining property value in states across the United States demonstrate that large-scale solar arrays have no measurable impact on the value of adjacent properties, and in some cases may even have positive effects. Additionally, proximity to solar farms does not deter the sales of agricultural or residential land.[1]

[1] Solar Energy Industries Association® (PDF)

Exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMF) is a part of normal life from the appliances used in our homes to the cell phones we use and the electrical lines in our neighborhoods. Exposure to low-level EMFs has been studied extensively, and there is no evidence that it is harmful to human health, according to the World Health Organization.[4]

Electricity from solar panels and transmission to the power grid emits extremely weak EMFs. At the perimeter fencing of a solar project, the EMF exposure is far lower than that found inside a typical home.

[4] World Health Organization

From natural gas to coal to solar, all parts of the energy sector receive some form of government support. These incentives enable new technologies to grow and scale to a point where they can compete on a level-playing field. In the case of solar, the only federal incentive is in the form of the Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC).

Silicon Ranch utilizes the Solar ITC in our fully integrated model that yields a seamless process through development, construction, and operation of our facilities. Our projects require no up-front capital from customers or the communities where facilities are located. In fact, because Silicon Ranch becomes a property owner and taxpayer in the community, a project will prove a net positive for the local tax base of the surrounding community. Additionally, as solar is the lowest-cost form of new electricity generation, ratepayers benefit from the ITC through lower electricity rates.

As a safety feature, a six foot tall chain link fence with barbed wire will surround the solar facility.

The project will interconnect to an existing 161kV TVA transmission line located adjacent the property.

No. Silicon Ranch constructs Photovoltaic facilities, which absorb solar energy rather than reflecting it, and therefore do not heat up.

There are companies that place solar panels on top of warehouses, commercial buildings, and residential houses, but this is not what Silicon Ranch does. The first part to consider is location – utility scale PV plants need to be near a viable transmission or distribution line to allow for connection to the grid to prevent needing long, expensive transmission lines. Additionally, consolidating the PV plant into a concentrated location allows for more efficient and effective connection to the grid. The second part to consider is the size – large warehouses tend to be anywhere between 500,000 – 1,000,000 square feet, which is approximately 12 – 24 acres. Silicon Ranch aims to build utility scale PV plants which require larger areas to generate the amount of energy necessary. Another factor is that not all existing buildings were designed or built to hold the structural load of a PV plant on the rooftops.

While there are companies that build PV plants on landfills, Silicon Ranch does not do so because building PV plants on landfills presents permitting and construction challenges, environmental challenges, such as avoiding damage to the landfill capping system, and engineering challenges, such as potential settlement of the landfill area that can lead to structural damage to the solar generating equipment.

We aim to deliver power into the communities that the power will serve. Each community has a range of siting options available, including both rooftop and ground mounted. In addition to questions of scale and structural stability, rooftop is by far the most expensive option for the installation of solar energy. Ground-mounted solar energy is the lowest cost form of new electricity generation in the United States today, and it is an important energy source for helping to keep rates low.

This will depend on the time of day, but generally, no more than ten feet high. The panels will rotate to follow the sun throughout the day. At the beginning and end of the day, the solar panels will be at their highest as they will be angled 60 degrees. Around lunchtime, the panels will be at their lowest.

In addition to following local ordinances around property setbacks (which will be 60’ from the edge of Center College Rd, and 40’ from all other roads & property lines) and building guidelines, Silicon Ranch also provides a vegetative buffer in some instances to shield the view of a facility.

The supporting structures that hold the modules are designed to withstand wind loads of 105-120 mph.

We take intentional steps in our facility design, operations, and land management to ensure that stormwater runoff from the site will be reduced or not increased from the conditions that exist when we buy the property.

Most of our projects are proposed at sites where the existing land is agricultural, wooded, or a combination of both. Once the solar plant is constructed, impervious surfaces (foundation pads, equipment, gravel roadways, etc.) will cover a relatively minor amount of the land housing it; most of the land will be meadow-like. So, while solar panels will be installed on the land, the stormwater will flow off the panels and across the vegetation, allowing for the water to infiltrate and evaporate or be absorbed and replenish the aquifer. Moreover, our regenerative land management practices increase vegetative cover and build soil organic matter and looser soils, leading to more water infiltration, increased water retention, and less stormwater runoff.

The reduction in stormwater runoff peak flow will improve downstream flooding issues. Existing natural resources (e.g., wetlands, ponds, streams, floodplains, etc.) and associated buffer areas are field identified, delineated, reviewed by the appropriate agencies, and marked during construction to be protected. In some circumstances, it may be necessary to temporarily or permanently impact a natural resource to facilitate a crossing location (e.g., access road-stream crossing). In these situations, all necessary permits are acquired and associated mitigative measures are implemented.

It is anticipated that as many as 150 construction jobs will be created, and Silicon Ranch maintains a strong preference for hiring locally and from the military veteran community.

Once the projects are approved, our Project Delivery team will look to continuing our work with local partners, such as Shelby County, to develop a plan to engage qualified, local firms and invite them to bid on the projects. There will also be announcements regarding job fairs for local residents interested in working on the projects.

And make sure to go to the Contact Us page and fill out the Contact form, and a project representative will reach out with more details on available work and the timing of proposals.

There will be some truck and trailer traffic during the construction of the project, including 18-wheelers delivering supplies during the installation. Access to the site will be through several internal property roads that come off of Bethuel Rd. and Center College Rd. Silicon Ranch will coordinate to provide a more precise operation schedule as the construction of a specific project approaches. Once operational, the site is remotely monitored and rarely visited except for periodic and routine maintenance. This is usually accomplished with 1-2 pick-up trucks or vans, depending on the crew.

It is anticipated that as many as 150 craft workers will be hired to build this project, and Silicon Ranch maintains a strong preference for hiring from the local labor pool and the military veteran community. Likewise, we always prefer to hire qualified, local firms when possible and have a strong track record of doing so.

For construction, the contractor for this project will most likely find a local company to remove waste. They have not yet contracted with a waste management company for this project. Once the contractor is selected, we will work with them on a waste management plan.

Yes, we always prefer to hire qualified, local firms when possible.

Silicon Ranch has a systematic approach to health and safety and is committed to the goal of zero recordable safety incidents. Accordingly, the team gives every consideration to safety and control measures as part of overall project design. In addition to his 25+ years of environmental, health and safety experience, Silicon Ranch’s Director of Environmental, Health, Safety, and Security—Jim Barfield, CSP, CHST—has deep credentials to lead the company’s approach to safety. Along with qualifications that include BSCP certifications, FEMA incident command, accident investigation, and OSHA 30 qualifications, he is a veteran of the United States Army as a Health Specialist of Preventative Medicine where he educated personnel on pathogen exposure, disease and occupational illness prevention, enforced military regulations governing sanitary practice and industrial hygiene, and investigated and controlled sources of pathogen and toxin exposure both inside and outside of United States borders.

This project will follow and adhere to all local, state, and federal regulations including fencing, electric codes, and signage. Additionally, the project will be monitored 24/7 so that any disturbance to the system can be quickly and safely acted upon.

Once construction commences, external to the site, we will post appropriate warnings in traffic ways to alert drivers of impending truck entrances to the roadway. Internal to the site there will be controls in place to regulate vehicle and heavy equipment on site.

The materials and components that comprise a solar energy generating facility are not hazardous to humans. Protection of the environment is very important to Silicon Ranch.

There is noise associated with the construction of the project, but Silicon Ranch seeks to minimize any potential disruption by limiting construction activities to normal business hours. Once operational, the site does not generate appreciable noise. The inverters have a quiet hum when the plant is generating during daylight hours, but the noise will not be audible beyond the property line. The inverters are typically located centrally on the project site, far enough away from neighboring houses to be imperceptible.

A solar farm is a collection of interconnected solar panels that are strategically placed to maximize their ability to capture sunlight and convert it to electricity. Sunlight contains little packets of energy called photons. When photons from the sun reach the solar panels, it causes energy electrons within those panels to move and in turn create an electrical current. That electric current is then sent to an inverter which converts it from DC to AC. That power is then pushed out from the solar site onto the transmission lines where the electricity is then distributed to households and businesses.

Once operational, the site does not generate any noise that can be heard outside the facility fencing. The inverters have a quiet hum, not unlike that heard from a residential transformer. We have 60’-40’ setbacks around the exterior of the site, with a 100’ setback from the interior parcel. Given the project size and location of the inverters within the fenced array, this will be imperceptible.

Solar modules are designed to absorb (rather than reflect) as much light as possible and are covered with a protective layer of anti-reflective matte glass.

No. Responsible solar development can actually enhance, not harm, wildlife habitat.

Silicon Ranch’s approach to land management has demonstrated that responsible solar development can, in fact, enhance the protection of wildlife habitat. Evidence reveals it is demonstrably improving wildlife habitat, specifically through an increase in bobwhite quail populations at those projects sited on previously cotton-peanut-corn farms in Jeff Davis County, Georgia (Hazlehurst I/II/III), where the previous regime of intensive tillage and herbicide use damaged populations over the past 80 years. With a transition to zero soil disturbance after construction, perennial vegetation, and properly timed mowing events, these solar projects create ground nesting bird habitat where bobwhite quail and other wildlife thrive. These healthy populations then spill over into adjacent hunting properties, where neighbors share in the benefit of this work.

In addition, Silicon Ranch has developed and funded a private Gopher Tortoise Sanctuary in partnership with GA DNR on its privately owned lands in Clay County, GA. Working together, Silicon Ranch and GA DNR have relocated several tortoise from surrounding projects, and have room for more. This solar company takes wildlife habitat very seriously, and its investment in this sanctuary is testament.

In Lee County, GA Silicon Ranch is creating hunting corridors by partnering with the local community to utilize an out parcel of its property. Moreover, the company intentionally designed in wildlife corridors at the project site.

Our Regenerative Energy platform is an outcome driven, third-party verified holistic standard of excellence for the design, construction, and operation of solar farms.

For our ecological monitoring efforts, we will contract with Cabriejo Ranch, a world-renowned regenerative ranch and a Savory Institute Hub, to take soil samples and perform the short- and long-term ecological monitoring work. We measure and third-party verify our ecological outcomes using the Savory Institute’s Land to Market Ecological Outcome Verification assessment methodology, which was developed in collaboration with leading soil scientists, ecologists, agronomists, and an extensive network of regenerative land managers around the world. This methodology measures the health of the land as a living system. In 2021 the Savory Institute certified land housing ten Silicon Ranch solar facilities as ‘regenerative’, the first and only solar land to receive this certification.

If we conduct a soil carbon project at Millington II, we will contract with Earth Optics to measure soil carbon. The soil is also tested at four laboratories, including one for agriculture analysis, during our Geotechnical testing prior to construction.

Yes, the project will follow and adhere to all local, state, and federal regulations including fencing, electric codes, and signage. Additionally, the project will be monitored 24/7 so that any disturbance to the system can be quickly and safely acted upon.

While most of the jobs created are related to the construction of the facility, it is anticipated that two to three additional jobs for ongoing maintenance will be created.

Our goal at Silicon Ranch is to leave the land as good, if not better, than when we initially find it.

Silicon Ranch recognizes that every site on which it locates a solar facility is unique and that each project must fit into the surrounding ecosystem and within the local community context. Through our Regenerative Energy® platform, a holistic approach to project design, construction, and operations, Silicon Ranch marries solar energy generation with regenerative land management practices that promote long-term, deep-rooted vegetation and plant growth cycles. This approach not only multiplies the typical beneficial outcomes of a solar project but also creates new benefits, including healing degraded soils, improving ecosystem function, and increasing biodiversity of both plants and wildlife, as well as pollinator habitat.

We recognize West Tennessee’s pride in the unique ecosystems that make up the region and will implement the appropriate regenerative land management practices to continue that legacy, in partnership with the Shelby County community and surrounding area.

Silicon Ranch aims to refrain from the use of any pesticides at this project, as we do at all of our projects, unless required by state law where the project is located to mitigate noxious weeds determined injurious to agricultural or horticultural crops or, in some instances, to prevent small targeted amounts of vegetation from growing up into equipment that would interfere with plant performance and impede the facility’s ability to deliver power to serve homes and businesses in the long-term. When circumstances require that we use pesticides, Silicon Ranch is committed to minimizing our use, meaning that we only spot spray EPA approved herbicides – which are commonly used on timber farms – when required. We never broadcast spray herbicides or pesticides.

We recognize that our responsibility as a good neighbor doesn’t stop at our fence line. Rather than viewing the land housing our solar projects as a liability, we recognize that land and vegetation are valuable natural resources and biological assets. When land and vegetation are managed properly, and in alignment with natural systems, we can revitalize soils, restore grassland ecosystems, increase biodiversity, sequester carbon, improve water quality, and build better solar facilities. Ultimately, through our Regenerative Energy approach, our goal is to leave the land better than we found it.

We recognize West Tennessee’s pride in the unique ecosystems that make up the region and we are committed to designing, building, and operating our solar facility in a way that continues that legacy, in partnership with Shelby County and the surrounding area.

The project is designed with reliability and the highest performance in mind over its 40-year useful life. This 40-year view means we design the entire plant and select equipment to last up to 40 years. Unlike some developers who may focus more on meeting minimum design criteria to reduce short-term costs, Silicon Ranch places more emphasis on reliability and the requirements of long-term ownership.

At the end of 40 years, the project will either be repowered with new solar equipment or decommissioned. If the project is decommissioned, all system components will be removed and the ground will be stabilized. All costs associated with the decommissioning process will be the responsibility of Silicon Ranch, not the community or local government. As Silicon Ranch will continue to own the property and will remain a member of the community, we are invested in ensuring that decommissioning will occur safely and responsibly, and that the site remains in excellent condition.

Silicon Ranch will purchase solar panels for this project with end-of-life in mind and will seek the most cost-effective and environmentally responsible path for recycling modules at their end of life.

We are committed to leading industry advancements in recycling. To process-end-of life solar modules from Silicon Ranch projects, we have partnered with two pioneers in US-based solar industry panel recycling: SOLARCYCLE, which offers an advanced recycling platform that recovers approximately 95% of the value of solar panel materials, including glass and aluminum, as well as silicon, copper, and silicon, and First Solar, which recovers approximately 90 percent of materials. Recovered module materials will help fuel the growing U.S. solar manufacturing industry with a domestic supply of materials essential to the production of new solar panels.

Our industry leading recycling partnerships support our commitments to advance domestic solar manufacturing, a circular solar economy, and economic development opportunities in communities across the country.

Currently, the remaining part of the panels, which are made of plastics, do not have much value. SOLARCYCLE is committed to zero waste, however, and they have found off-takers who will use the plastic for secondary applications to avoid sending panel materials to a landfill.

What is it like to live next to one of our solar farms?

Hear about it firsthand from our neighbors in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.

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Jerry Hanrahan

Jerry Hanrahan

Senior Advisor to John Hancock Infrastructure Fund

Jerry Hanrahan joined the John Hancock Infrastructure Team in 2001 and was the Team Leader from 2011 until 2016. Under Jerry’s leadership, the Infrastructure Team’s portfolio grew from $17 billion of debt and equity investments to $24 billion. He is currently a Senior Advisor to John Hancock Infrastructure Fund.

Mr. Hanrahan has worked in the financing of the power industry since 1990, as an investor, as a finance officer and as a financial advisor to power companies.

Prior to joining John Hancock in 2001, Mr. Hanrahan worked for four years in the Boston and London offices of power company InterGen, where he coordinated all financing activities on power projects in Turkey, Colombia, and Egypt. Prior to InterGen, Mr. Hanrahan spent nine years in the structured finance and financial advisory divisions of Bank of Tokyo Capital Corporation in Boston. Mr. Hanrahan holds an MBA from Babson College and received his BS from Northeastern University.

Ryan Edwards

Director, Project Finance at Silicon Ranch

“You see the results at the end of the day, that a veteran that came to a company is able to really grow within that role and accrue more responsibility offload from their manager, help train other folks on their team – that pure leadership piece that is extremely valuable for military folks because they had to do it the whole time with their fellow officers or their fellow enlisted.

And that’s where you really get that synergy just by entrusting veterans to really come onto a team and embrace the culture, but also offer some unique perspective. They may not have the years of experience, but the solar industry is constantly evolving, right? So, years of experience could potentially lead you down a rabbit hole in a different direction from where the actual path of solar is going to be in the next five years. You bring in some unique perspectives, somebody that’s not afraid to speak up, but is tactful about it, then you really can have some good discussion on direction down the road…

I think that adaptability kind of lends itself to adversity. Veterans tend to see challenges as something they need to overcome, not as something that shuns them away from getting to the desired solution. I’m not saying that this is unique to the military, but I would say that the majority of folks in the military will definitely look at a challenge and say, this is something that we as a team shall overcome.”

Byron W. Smith

Managing Director, Mountain Group Partners

Byron is a Managing Director of Mountain Group Partners, an investment firm dedicated to investing in and actively guiding transformational businesses in the Life Sciences and Technology sectors. Founded in 2002, Mountain Group Partners principals have invested in more than 30 seed and early stage companies in these sectors. Within technology, Mountain Group Partners’ investments focus on Business Services and Consumer & Healthcare, targeting those ideas with quantifiable development risk and a rapid path to market.

Byron has also taught entrepreneurship as an adjunct professor at Vanderbilt University’s Owen Graduate School of Management and been an active angel and venture capital investor.

Jeff Mouland

Managing Director and Head of Global Infrastructure Investments

Jeff leads the TDAM Infrastructure Team and is responsible for investment strategy, asset sourcing and execution, and oversight of acquired assets. He was previously part of the Infrastructure Investments Team at Public Sector Pension Investment Board (PSP Investments, with multi-sector responsibility for global deal sourcing and execution and developing emerging markets investment strategy for equity investing and project financing within the infrastructure and energy sector. Jeff received his B.Eng in Civil Engineering from Memorial University and an MBA in Finance from McGill University.

Matt Kisber

Chairman of the Board

Matt is a co-founder of Silicon Ranch and served as CEO of the company until becoming Chairman in July 2019. As Chairman, Matt works closely with the company’s executive leadership to set and implement its ambitious growth strategy. Under his leadership, Silicon Ranch has from an idea to become one of the top solar companies in America, with a reputation as a pioneering, innovative, and principled industry leader. Matt brings a unique background to Silicon Ranch having been a business owner and having served eight years as Tennessee Commissioner of Economic Development. He has also worked with industry leaders from across the U.S. and around the globe to bring investments and jobs to Tennessee. A graduate of Vanderbilt University, Matt served 10 terms in the Tennessee House of Representatives.

Pradeep Killamsetty

Managing Director, Power & Infrastructure Investment Group at John Hancock Financial Services

Mr. Killamsetty is a Managing Director in Manulife’s infrastructure investment group. He joined John Hancock / Manulife in 2012 and is responsible for origination, execution and asset management of investments in various infrastructure sectors. Over the last ten years with John Hancock, Pradeep has led investments in infrastructure equity and public/ private/ project finance debt of over $5 billion. Pradeep has worked in the infrastructure sector since 2006, as an investor, developer, and a financial advisor. After graduating from business school in 2006, he joined Credit Suisse’s power & utilities investment banking group. At Credit Suisse, he was involved in M&A advisory and financing assignments for various power sector clients. Prior to joining John Hancock, he was at Competitive Power Ventures where he helped develop and finance about 1,000MW of renewable energy and gas fired power projects. Pradeep holds an MBA from University of North Carolina and an M.S in Mechanical Engineering from University of Alabama.

Philip Bredesen

Founding Chairman

Philip Bredesen served as Tennessee’s Governor from 2003 until 2011 and Mayor of Nashville from 1991 until 1999. He is known for his bipartisan approach to problem-solving and his careful fiscal management. Among those who have served in senior elected positions, Governor Bredesen has a unique depth of healthcare experience in both the private and public sectors.

Prior to entering public service, Bredesen worked in the healthcare industry. Between research trips to the public library, he drafted a business plan at his kitchen table that led to the creation of HealthAmerica Corp. in 1980, a Nashville-based healthcare management company. The company eventually grew to more than 6,000 employees and was traded on the New York Stock Exchange. The company was sold in 1986. Additionally, Gov. Bredesen is considered a serial entrepreneur, having helped start and mentor several successful companies, many of which subsequently became publicly traded on various stock exchanges.

Laura Zapata

President & CEO, Clearloop

Laura Zapata is the CEO and co-founder of Clearloop, a Nashville-based startup that helps companies of all sizes—from established companies like Intuit to innovative startups like Rivian—cut their carbon footprint and expand access to clean energy in the United States. Zapata made a career in crisis communications and reputation management having worked in Congress, political campaigns, and Uber. She’s now helping companies reach their net-zero and other climate goals with tangible climate action that ensures that the environmental, health, and economic benefits of new solar projects reach American communities getting left behind. Zapata is a strong believer that solar can do more if we’re intentional about the communities where we invest and is eager to tap into the economic power of more companies as they seek to tackle their carbon footprint and strive for an equitable clean energy transition. Zapata immigrated from Colombia, was raised in Memphis, Tennessee, and is a graduate of Dartmouth College.

Steve Wozniak

Senior Vice President, Engineering

As Vice President of Engineering, Steve’s primary responsibility is to oversee Silicon Ranches PV Power Plant Engineering and Commissioning teams.  Steve has over 33 years in engineering, management, and construction for the Solar and Power industries.  Experience includes all phases of EPC from development through construction and start up.  His leadership roles have encompassed development, multi-disciplined engineering, estimating, procurement, permitting, EHS, project management and construction.  He has 13+ years of design and field experience installing and maintaining over 9 GW of large-scale utility solar power plants, both domestically and internationally.  Steve was also involved in several working groups for solar power such as SEIA and the NEC to help drive the direction of utility scale solar. 

Jen Randolph

Senior Vice President, Human Resources

Jen is responsible for leading our HR function. People are our biggest asset at Silicon Ranch and the people strategies she is creating is helping grow and sustain our team. Jen joined Silicon Ranch with 22 years of HR experience in various industries, most recently in manufacturing with Bridgestone.

Amanda Nichols

Senior Legal Counsel

Amanda counsels Silicon Ranch’s business development, finance, and executive teams, where she supports the negotiation and management of significant transactions and execution of Silicon Ranch’s strategic plans. Prior to joining Silicon Ranch, Amanda practiced in a large regional law firm advising clients in M&A, corporate finance, and project finance transactions across an array of industries.

Morgan Day

Vice President, Projects

As Vice President of Projects, Morgan is responsible to oversee and execute the day-to-day operations of the LPC (Local Power Companies) and Clearloop portfolio of projects. Responsibilities include planning for projects, estimating, deploying and managing resources including labor, equipment, and subcontractors, and confirming proper close out of projects including ensuring the projects are achieving maximum resource efficiency and effectiveness. Morgan has more than 27 years’ experience with a proven track record of safe, high-quality project execution on time and under budget. His experience spans the power industry from gas turbines to coal fired boiler units and has been primarily focused in renewable energy and solar projects since 2017.

Kati Cook, CPA

Senior Vice President, Controller

Matt Brown

Vice President, Business Development

Matt serves as Vice President, Business Development for Silicon Ranch and has been with the company for nearly 9 years. Prior to joining Silicon Ranch, Matt worked in various management capacities at TVA both in renewable energy program management and economic development. Matt and his team are responsible for developing community and utility solutions for distributed and utility scale solar projects across multiple geographies in the Southeast, developing win-win-win solutions for all partners.

Luke Wilkinson

Senior Vice President, Project Development

Luke manages the Project Development team at Silicon Ranch. His team is responsible for identifying greenfield assets, negotiating land agreements, community and economic development, permitting, and de-risking assets prior to handing off the projects to the engineering and construction teams. Luke ensures his team keeps projects on schedule and budget through the development lifecycle.

Tyler Whitmore

Senior Vice President, Process Improvement

Tyler works with the Executive Team and other members of the organization to develop and implement processes to support and streamline several of the Company’s initiatives, as well as addresses ad-hoc requests for the Executive Team during rotational assignments. Prior to joining Silicon Ranch, Tyler worked at Mountain Group Partners, a venture capital firm where he served as Vice President and either in board or visitor roles for multiple portfolio companies, and successfully executed on over 150 financings and transactions across more than 45 different companies. Before starting at Mountain Group Partners, Tyler worked as an Investment Banker at Sagent Advisors (now DC Advisory) in the Automotive and Industrial vertical groups. Tyler graduated Cum Laude from Vanderbilt University in 2010 with a BS in Engineering Science and a minor in Financial Economics.

Nick de Vries

Chief Technology Officer

Nick is responsible for managing all aspects of the company’s operating portfolio, as well as technology decisions for new projects. Nick has more than 20 years of diverse renewable energy, semiconductor, and military experience that inform his current work, including executive positions at SolarCity, Phoenix Solar, and Applied Materials.

Nick’s renewable energy industry expertise spans module and cell manufacturing, photovoltaic project design and operation, auxiliary grid services, as well as the prediction and demonstration of the energy harvest of novel PV technologies. He has also worked on manufacturing amorphous silicon modules, and on process machine control of cell splitting and cascading cell bonding processes with heterojunction crystalline cells. Silicon Ranch owns—and Nick now operates—projects that he himself designed nearly a decade ago, including the first transmission interconnected PV plant in the Southeast. Nick holds patents in both PV module manufacturing and design.

While at Applied Materials, he advanced the use of statistical process control to enhance the reliability of production equipment. He has led the commissioning of process equipment at Intel semiconductor factories in both the U.S. and Europe, and entire solar cell factories in India, Germany, Spain, and China.

Nick served his country on active duty as an Infantry Captain in the United States Army, with tours in Kuwait and Bosnia-Herzegovina. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Lehigh University.

Nick is a regular speaker at industry events and has authored several articles. His current passions are the use of predictive analytics to improve performance of solar power plants and the integration of solar farms with regenerative agriculture practices—mostly with sheep and cattle. Hear him talk about it about it on NPR.

Paul Russell

Senior Vice President, Project Delivery

Paul Russell oversees the procurement department at Silicon Ranch Corporation, a fully integrated provider of customized renewable energy, carbon and battery storage solutions. During his nearly six years at Silicon Ranch, Paul has worn many hats and been instrumental in Silicon Ranch’s growth during this period. Prior to joining Silicon Ranch, Paul worked as in-house counsel for a Fortune 500 energy company and an international law firm in Houston, Texas. Before attending law school, Paul taught high school special education in the Mississippi Delta through Teach for America.

John Marcarelli

Senior Vice President, Business Development

John leads the business development and origination efforts for Silicon Ranch and the expansion of utility-scale power plants, storage, and value-added energy services into new geographies. The origination team works electric cooperatives, investor-owned utilities, and commercial clients to achieve their economic and sustainability goals through cost-effective energy solutions. John has worked in the renewable energy industry for over two decades, covering all aspects of the value chain, from small-scale, off-grid power systems to heading up US origination for a global distribution company. John joined Silicon Ranch in 2015 following several years with the global engineering procurement and construction (EPC) firm that built Silicon Ranch’s early projects.

Gaurab Hazarika

Senior Vice President, Strategic Planning and Initiatives

Todd Aquino

Executive Vice President, Energy Delivery

As Senior Vice President of Energy Delivery, Todd’s primary responsibility is to oversees silicon Ranches Utility Planning, Interconnection, Substation Engineering and Development Engineering teams. Todd has provided quality leadership and electrical designs for electric utility, industrial and other clients for over 31 years. His leadership role encompasses directing groups of multi-disciplined engineers and designers in support of engineering and construction projects. His design work includes electrical renewable integration, energy storage, substation physical layout, equipment selection, bus design, grounding design, panel wiring, and control house design. He has field experience installing and maintaining large scale battery, inverters, and flywheel systems for industrial clients.

Andrew Katz

Executive Vice President, Strategy & Corporate Development

Andrew works directly with the Executive Team to lead the development and implementation of the Company’s corporate strategic plan thereby enhancing the analysis of and response to market conditions, and ensuring proactive monitoring and identification of sources of capital to meet outstanding and planned commitments. Prior to joining Silicon Ranch, Andrew served as a VP in Morgan Stanley’s Global Power & Utilities practice within the Investment Banking Division where he played a lead role in Silicon Ranch’s 2020 equity raise. Andrew earned a BA in Economics from Rollins College in 2009 and an MBA from The Yale School of Management in 2016.

Richard Johnson

General Counsel

Richard is responsible for managing all legal functions for Silicon Ranch Corporation and its solar energy projects, including corporate governance matters, regulatory matters, financing and development transactions, construction and procurement, acquisitions, and project management affairs. Before joining Silicon Ranch, Richard was an attorney in the corporate transactional group at Venable LLP in Washington, DC, where he represented clients in connection with M&A and financing transactions as well as general corporate governance matters.

Boris Schubert

Chief Operating Officer

Boris Schubert has been driving the energy transition for more than 20 years with a focus on global renewable power development. As Silicon Ranch’s Chief Development Officer and Chairman of Clearloop, Boris is charged with leading the future growth of Silicon Ranch by expanding its project inventory into new markets and use cases across the U.S. His role helps bridge together the unique offerings of Silicon Ranch’s carbon solutions provider Clearloop and its agrivolatics solution Regenerative Energy to meet growing customer climate ambitions and deliver tangible environmental, social, and economic impact for customers and local communities. Prior to joining Silicon Ranch, Boris served as General Manager of Renewable Power Development at Shell, globally leading a push to provide cleaner energy solutions.

Michael Payne, CPA

Chief Financial Officer

Michael is responsible for managing all aspects of Silicon Ranch Corporation’s finance and accounting functions. Michael oversees the company’s internal and external financial reporting, regulatory and reporting compliance, and accounting operations. Michael brings over 20 years of financial reporting and accounting experience in a wide variety of industries for both public and private companies. Prior to joining Silicon Ranch, Michael worked on the corporate finance team of Asurion and previously worked for Ernst & Young in Nashville and Brussels, Belgium.

Matt Beasley

Chief Commercial Officer

As Chief Commercial Officer, Matt manages the interface between Silicon Ranch and external stakeholders, including customers, local communities, and the broader industry, with additional focus on business development and corporate strategy. Matt is also a member of the Company’s Board of Directors. Since Matt joined the team in early 2015, Silicon Ranch has grown from an early-stage startup to become one of the largest and fastest-growing independent power producers in the country.

Matt brings more than twenty years of global communications expertise, business development leadership, and entrepreneurial experience to the company’s executive leadership team. Prior to joining Silicon Ranch in 2015, Matt held assignments in New York, Tokyo, and London to develop and implement marketing strategies for large multinational clients. He later led business development efforts across a range of strategic initiatives for one of the country’s premier infrastructure firms. From late 2015 to early 2019, Matt served as President of the Tennessee state chapter of the Solar Energy Industries Association (TenneSEIA).

Matt graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and earned his MBA from the Owen Graduate School of Management at Vanderbilt University.

Erin Hanratty

Erin Hanratty

Project Manager II at Silicon Ranch

“Ryan, you mentioned the entrusting to other people – it was kind of wired within all of us while we were in the military. You had to learn how to trust the people you’re with, because you were working so closely on teams and with teams. At the end of the day, teamwork was the hallmark of success. So that’s just instilled in us to – not to automatically just trust everyone, but to learn how to cultivate that trust. Because at the end of the day, that’s what’s going to make an organization successful and what you really need for any sort of team to be successful. Especially, like we said, in this high-pace, changing environment…

I think it’s extremely important to be pulling in vets, not just at Silicon Ranch, but to the whole energy industry, because the soft skills and the adaptability are really key to the person doing well in that kind of volatile, robust industry. Those skill sets will help grow the industry through these volatile and robust times.

It’s been really refreshing also to see at Silicon Ranch that we’re not just pulling in from one branch. There hasn’t been one cliche or cookie-cutter pathway of the same community from the military where we’re recruiting from. It’s all across the board. We have several Navy, we have a bunch of Army, we have some Air Force. So that’s also a key thing to remember in the recruitment of vets – it’s such a wide spectrum of experiences that can be capitalized on, and can contribute from different branches and communities in the military. So that’s been really cool to see here at Silicon Ranch as well.”

Reagan Farr

President & Chief Executive Officer

As Co-Founder, President, and Chief Executive Officer of Silicon Ranch, Reagan is responsible for ongoing operations and execution of the company’s strategic growth plan. Under his leadership, Silicon Ranch has grown from an idea to become one of the largest independent power producers in the United States, while successfully commissioning every project the company has contracted since it began operations in 2011. From developing the initial ambitious plan for Silicon Ranch to growing a company that has earned a global reputation as one of the premier solar energy providers in the industry, Reagan has been instrumental to the company’s growth. Reagan also serves on Silicon Ranch’s Board of Directors.

Reagan grew up in Baton Rouge, LA. He graduated from Louisiana State University in 1993 and from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill in 1998 with a law degree. He worked for both KPMG and Ernst & Young in the area of state and local taxes from 1998 until 2003, when he joined the Bredesen administration as Deputy Commissioner of Revenue. He became Commissioner of Revenue in 2006, and when Bredesen left office in 2011 joined with him and Matt Kisber in forming Silicon Ranch.