Groups Break Ground on TVA Solar Farms

CLARKSVILLE and NASHVILLE, TENN. (May 17, 2023) —CDE Lightband, Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), and Silicon Ranch, one of the nation’s largest independent power producers and a community-focused renewable energy company, broke ground on two solar farms totaling 6.75 MWAC in Clarksville, Tennessee. Clarksville has experienced historic economic growth over the past decade and with it a rapidly growing population. These two solar projects will generate enough reliable, low-cost energy to help serve more than 1,000 households annually.

The event celebrated the groundbreaking of both the 2 MWAC Solar Band: Red Array and the 4.75 MWAC Solar Band: Orange Array. The event was hosted at the larger Solar Band: Orange Array. Both solar farms are expected to be fully operational and deliver energy to the Clarksville community in December of 2023.

“CDE Lightband prides itself on reliability and connectivity. Our customers expect nothing less. These solar farms will help us improve the resiliency of our services without increasing costs, all while helping Clarksville attract additional businesses to the area,” says CDE Lightband General Manager Brian Taylor. “I am proud of this partnership with TVA and Silicon Ranch and the collaboration from each organization to make this possible.”

“Solar Band demonstrates what is possible when we come together with a shared vision to use low-cost, reliable, renewable energy to power our growing economy,” said Doug Perry, Senior Vice President TVA Commercial Energy Solutions. “Together with our partners, we are building the nation’s most advanced energy system to help us meet our decarbonization and energy security goals.”

“CDE Lightband is one of the most forward-thinking LPCs in the country, especially considering the role it embraces as an engine for local economic development, thanks in large part to Brian Taylor and his team, who are working daily to serve the needs of their rapidly growing community,” said Silicon Ranch Co-Founder and Chairman Matt Kisber. “We are proud to partner with CDE Lightband to help meet the high bar its leadership has set, and its customers have come to expect, as the long-term owner and operator of these solar projects which will provide reliable cost-effective energy.”

TVA and CDE Lightband partnered with the city to help it achieve ambitious infrastructure goals to meet the needs of a growing population. This includes installing fiber cables, and opening access to renewable energy with the goal of attracting more businesses to the Clarksville area.

Notably, Clarksville is home to the Fort Campbell military base. Silicon Ranch works with programs like Hiring Our Heroes and Solar Ready Vets to assist military veterans, from every branch, as they transition into their next missions in civilian life. Silicon Ranch exceeds the national average in hiring veterans by nearly double, and its team includes military veterans previously based at Fort Campbell.

“What we know is that veterans have looked at problems. They’ve had to figure out how to solve them,” says Nick de Vries, Chief Technology Officer at Silicon Ranch. “As an Army veteran myself, this is something I have known for a long time. We are grateful to our military veteran employees and the unique skill sets they bring to our team, and will continue to broaden our ties with the military veteran community.”

Members of the active and retired military joined CDE Lightband, Silicon Ranch, and TVA for this groundbreaking.