Here’s a cut and paste. The company, Silicon Ranch, was founded in 2010 by
Phil Bredesen. Shell now owns 44%. They’ve done a project for Memphis, and
others not named. This will be a 4.5MW output facility which will meet about
5% of Maryville’s need. That’s the limit that they can buy from non-TVA
sources. The facility will have to be located within Maryville’s service
territory. Silicon Ranch will own and operate, and Maryville will buy from
them, so no investment required by Maryville. Possibly online by 2022. Alcoa
has been approached by Silicon Ranch, but is in a wait and see mode.
Nashville solar company hunting property in Blount to build plant, sell power
to Maryville Electric
By Andrew Jones andrew.jones@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
<https://www.thedailytimes.com/users/profile/AndrewJones> 11 hrs ago 0
<https://www.thedailytimes.com/news/nashville-solar-company-hunting-property-in-blount-to-build-plant-sell-power-to-maryville-electric/article_cf9c997f-e440-52b8-b556-2dbafe7bc24c.html#comments>
A solar farm built by Silicon Ranch at the Millington Naval Facility in
Tennessee. The company may be building a facility in Blount County after
Maryville utility officials announced interest in buying power from the firm.
Courtesy of Maryville Utilities Department and Silicon Ranch
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After it sent out a request-for-quote in September 2020, Maryville Electric
Department has what it was looking for — a solar farm vendor willing to build a
plant in the area and sell power to the city.
A growing firm with 142 locations in 15 states, Nashville-headquartered Silicon
Ranch won the city’s RFQ with a 27-page sales pitch, beating out eight other
interested groups, none of which were based in Tennessee.
While Silicon Ranch has not signed a contract, officials said the hunt for
property to build a solar farm is geared up and a decision could be imminent.
Maryville Utilities Director Baron Swafford was confident enough the deal would
go through that he presented it during the January retreat of the City Council.
He said the Maryville Electric Department wants to buy 4½ MW (megawatts) of
solar energy output, a facility that would take up an estimated 40 acres of
land — about 30 football fields.
The city’s peak megawatt usage is around 130 MW, Swafford said, so the city
doesn’t need to buy much.
“It’s a little piece but it’s a significant piece,” he told council members.
However, should the contract score a green light, the city won’t have any
monetary investment in the project: It’s all Silicon Ranch’s coin.
“We’re going to sign a purchase of power agreement for 20, 25 or 30 years,”
Swafford said. “And we’re going to agree to buy power from them at 4-5 cents
per kilowatt-hour, which is cheaper than (buying power) from Tennessee Valley
Authority.”
He noted that would be about $200,000 in savings each year for Maryville
Electric Department, which serves more than 20,000 homes and businesses in
Maryville and Rockford.
Silicon Ranch Chief Commercial Officer Matt Beasley told The Daily Times by
phone Tuesday every project is different and there was no telling how long it
could be before a contract was inked and the Maryville project operational.
Bringing solar to a locale means more than just acquiring land and signing
contracts, he explained.
“There’s an education process required when we come to a new community,”
Beasley said. “(Residents) don’t know anything about it and, in the absence of
information, rumor and innuendo can fill the void and you’ve got to address
certain myths.”
He highlighted Silicon Ranch’s dedication to integrating its projects into each
community. The firm has fulfilled 100% of the projects it signed onto, Beasley
said, something not every solar provider can claim.
“We keep our promises and we don’t plan on changing that in this town,” he said.
The company already has a team dedicated to the Maryville project, and Beasley
said though many endeavors require studies and permits that take time (at least
three years in some cases), this one might be a quicker turnaround.
“We’re working to identify the site and ultimately execute the project, but I
expect this will be a 2022 (delivery),” he said.
Silicon Ranch’s numbers have skyrocketed since it was established by founding
Chairman and former Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen in 2010. Since then, the
outfit has gone from around five to more than 70 Tennessee-based employees.
Most of its projects are concentrated in the southeastern United States.
In 2018, energy behemoth Shell acquired a 44% ownership stake in the company.
Unlike many solar companies, Beasley said, Silicon Ranch owns and operates its
facilities instead of just building them and hiring a contractor to run them.
If the deal goes through, Maryville Electric Department documents show Silicon
Ranch would be required to build inside the city’s service territory. Maryville
is the only Blount-based power provider seeking solar power, but Alcoa Electric
Director Ryan Trentham told The Daily Times on Tuesday that Silicon Ranch also
courted his office with a voice message.
Alcoa is not currently interested, but Trentham said city leaders will keep an
eye on how local energy options evolve after renewed 2020 contracts with TVA
allowed both cities to buy 5% of their electricity from non-TVA sources.
Follow @arjonesreports on Facebook <https://www.facebook.com/arjonesreports>
and Twitter <https://twitter.com/arjonesreports> for more from city government
reporter Andrew Jones.
On Jan 27, 2021, at 11:10 AM, Overly@xxxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:
Have to be subscriber to read it - any specifics you want to mention Jack? I
almost can't believe Maryville is hunting solar power.
Peace
Jonathan
East TN Clean Fuels Coalition + Tennessee Clean Fuels
311 Conference Center Building
Knoxville, TN 37996-4134
865-974-3625 – office | 865-803-7555 – cell
jonathan@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:jonathan@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
www.TNCleanFuels.org <http://www.tncleanfuels.org/>
-----Original Message-----
From: knoxev-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <knoxev-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> On Behalf Of
Jack Goodwin
Sent: Wednesday, January 27, 2021 10:37 AM
To: knoxev@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [knoxev] Solar Power in Maryville?
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