Logan County will power the Corvette and help Facebook users get more Likes in the near future.
Through the Tennessee Valley Authority’s nationally recognized Green Invest program, renewable energy continues to expand with plans to build the largest solar-plus-storage project in TVA’s Kentucky service area.
The new Logan County solar farm will provide Facebook’s regional data center operations with 145 megawatts of solar power and General Motors’ Bowling Green Assembly, exclusive home of the Chevrolet Corvette, with 28 megawatts of solar power.
The site is west of Russellville between Watermelon and Montgomery roads, according to Logan County Judge-executive Logan Chick, who has been aware of the project along with LEAD Executive Director Tom Harned since 2019. They were part of a group which went to Alabama last year to see how a solar energy project works.
Harned said the site was selected because of the heavy-duty TVA transmission lines which criss-cross Logan County. “The recruitment of manufacturing facilities usually involves the availability of highways and railways,” Harned told The LoJo. “Other companies are more concerned about access to power to operate their businesses.”
The site is also relatively near the Corvette Assembly Plan just north of Bowling Green and Facebook’slarge facility in Gallatin, Tenn.
After consultation with TVA, a Pennsylvania firm secured leases for the approximately 1600 acres from multiple Logan County landowners. That company made Chick, Harned and their court and board aware of their intention, which included selling the leases to a company which wanted to develop the solar energy plant. Logan Fiscal Court passed setback ordinances and other regulations to be followed.
When TVA got requests from two of the nation’s most well-know corporations for a source to provide environmentally friendly power, the Pennsylvania firm then sold those leases to an experienced solar power generating firm, Silicon Ranch.
TVA signed a long-term power purchase agreement with Silicon Ranch to develop, own, operate and maintain the solar-plus-storage facility, which will foster significant capital investment in Logan County and spawn additional economic impacts for the surrounding area. Silicon Ranch plans to hire more than 450 construction workers and will emphasize hiring locally for the project’s construction, which is expected to begin in 2022 and be completed in fall of 2023, pending environmental reviews.
Kentucky State Representative Jason Petrie believes the project will create valuable opportunities for local residents and businesses: “I am excited that Logan County has been chosen to serve as a provider of renewable energy. This project positions our entire region for economic development as the demand for renewable energy continues to increase.”
Under this unique platform, Silicon Ranch will restore the land to a functioning grassland ecosystem while keeping the property in agricultural production through managed sheep grazing. Key to this approach is managing the land based on close observations of soil, grass, and the water cycle, resulting in quantifiable ecological, economic, and social outcomes that are backed by a third-party verified standard.
“It’s part of being environmentally friendly to let sheep graze the land around the plant instead of using big tractors and diesel fuel to keep it clear,” Harned said. “Some of the approximately 12 employees following construction will be needed to tend to the sheep.”
Facebook’s investment helped enable the addition of 120 megawatt-hours of new battery storage technology that will increase the resilience of the power grid. TVA and Warren Rural Electric Cooperative Corporation are partnering with Nashville-based Silicon Ranch to develop the project.
Much of Logan County is served by Pennyrile Rural Electric, but WRECC provides electricity for the Greater Auburn area.
“Today’s announcement is the result of Facebook’s, General Motors’, and Warren RECC’s leadership and our joint, long-term commitment to renewable energy across the region,” said Chris Hansen, TVA vice president, Origination and Renewables. “TVA’s Green Invest program is bringing together customers and renewable energy partners who are all investing in our communities.”
Since 2018, Green Invest has attracted nearly $2.7 billion in solar investment and procured over 2,100 megawatts of solar on behalf of its customers – maintaining TVA’s green energy leadership with the greatest amount of renewable generation in the Southeast.
“Renewable energy is something that more of our businesses want and something that makes Kentucky more competitive for jobs and investments,” said Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear. “Green Invest shows the benefits of TVA’s public power model as we transition to a cleaner energy future.”
“The Tennessee Valley is our home, and Silicon Ranch is honored to be part of this compelling economic development story with TVA, Facebook, General Motors, and Warren RECC that demonstrates what’s possible when we work together with a shared vision for the entire region,” said Silicon Ranch Co-Founder and CEO Reagan Farr. “Thanks to the forward-thinking vision of our partners at TVA and the local power companies, Silicon Ranch is on pace to invest more than $1 billion across the Valley, and we are proud to expand this legacy to Logan County and the Commonwealth of Kentucky.”
Facebook is on track to support its global operations with 100 percent renewable energy, and this announcement is Facebook’s fifth renewable energy agreement with TVA. Facebook’s renewable commitments in the region now total 742 megawatts of solar and 80 megawatts of battery storage.
“Green Invest makes it possible for our operations in the Tennessee Valley to be supported by new solar energy constructed in the region,” said Urvi Parekh, head of Renewable Energy at Facebook. “This solar and storage facility, less than 50 miles from our Gallatin data center, will be Facebook’s first renewable energy project in Kentucky, which marks an important milestone for our global portfolio.”
In May, General Motors said it would use Green Invest to power its Spring Hill Manufacturing plant with 100 percent renewable energy, and solar energy from today’s announcement will help General Motors reach its goal to become carbon neutral in its products and operations by 2040. The solar facility is located only 30 miles from GM’s Bowling Green Assembly plant.
“We are committed to sourcing 100 percent renewable energy for our U.S. operations by 2030,” said Kristen Siemen, GM chief sustainability officer. “Using our scale and relationships to increase renewable energy demand and availability in local communities will help create a future with zero emissions.”
TVA sees a bright future for solar fueling the region’s economy because it has increased its contracted solar capacity by 60% since October 2020.
“Warren RECC is committed to developing innovative solutions, and we are proud to be the first electric cooperative in the Tennessee Valley to sign a Green Invest agreement,” said Dewayne McDonald, Warren RECC president and CEO. “The Warren RECC service territory is an industry hub, and we continue to take bold steps to help make our community a competitive location for businesses, like GM, that are pursuing environmental goals.”
The Tennessee Valley Authority is a corporate agency of the United States that provides electricity for business customers and local power companies serving nearly 10 million people in parts of seven southeastern states. TVA receives no taxpayer funding, deriving virtually all of its revenues from sales of electricity. In addition to operating and investing its revenues in its electric system, TVA provides flood control, navigation and land management for the Tennessee River system, and assists local power companies and state and local governments with economic development and job creation.