Black & Veatch announced today that it has been selected by Silicon Ranch Corporation to build a sprawling, 125-megawatt (MW_AC) solar array in Lee County in southwestern Georgia. Once construction is completed later this year, the DeSoto I Solar Farm will be among the biggest solar installations in the Southeast.

Nashville-based Silicon Ranch, one of the nation’s largest independent solar power producers, developed and is funding the project and will own, operate and maintain it for the long-term, a disciplined approach the company takes with every project it develops.

“As renewable energy continues to progress in a world rapidly focusing on decarbonization, this effort further demonstrates how carbon footprints can be minimized without disrupting the surrounding ecosystem,” said Paul Skurdahl, Black & Veatch senior vice president of renewable solutions. “This project aligns with our proven record of innovative approaches to delivering clean, affordable energy.”

DeSoto I will integrate Silicon Ranch’s trademark Regenerative Energy® land-management model, which co-locates solar energy production with regenerative agriculture practices. Once construction is complete, Silicon Ranch will restore the land to a functioning grassland ecosystem while keeping the project in agricultural production through managed sheep grazing using regenerative land management practices.

“As the long-term owner and operator of our projects, Silicon Ranch is committed to supporting the communities we serve, and we’re pleased to work with Black & Veatch to execute this vision in Lee County,” Silicon Ranch Co-Founder and CEO Reagan Farr said. “Thousands of Georgia residents have already helped us build more than a dozen world-class facilities in the region, and we will work with Black & Veatch and our partners in Lee County to recruit local talent for DeSoto I as well.”

Editor’s Notes:

• The 2021 Engineering News-Record (ENR) Sourcebook ranks Black & Veatch’s power business No. 1 for solar power services.
• Black & Veatch has been delivering solar photovoltaic (PV) project development and implementation since 1973.
• The company provides siting and permitting, design, independent and owner’s engineering, operations and maintenance (O&M), integration with transmission networks and full engineering, procurement and construction solutions to global clients seeking to deploy solar technologies.