Facebook: Meta signs deals for seven solar projects in Georgia and Tennessee

Meta has announced more solar projects, this time in Georgia and Tennessee. According to the company, the projects will be delivered through Silicon Ranch's partnership with Walton Electric Membership Corporation (EMC) and the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). Together, these three entities will provide renewable energy to the giant's data center operations in Georgia and the Tennessee Valley. The former will reportedly fund, build, own, operate and maintain the solar facilities over the duration of the seven projects, which will total 720MWAC.

Speaking about this,  Ronnie Lee, CEO of Walton EMC said: "As an electric cooperative, Walton EMC is driven by our' concern for community' and our devotion to serving the needs of our member-owners, and our partnership with Meta and Silicon Ranch enables us to honor our commitments to these principles and values." Meanwhile, Doug Perry, senior vice president of Commercial Energy Solutions for TVA, added: "TVA is building the energy system of the future, and this public-private partnership with Meta and Silicon Ranch demonstrates the strength of TVA's public power model to attract capital investment and high-quality jobs into the communities we serve while helping businesses meet their sustainability goals."

"Silicon Ranch is honored by the confidence and trust that Meta continues to place in our company to execute on their behalf, and we are grateful to be part of this compelling economic development story with them as well as with our utility partners Walton EMC and TVA," said Reagan Farr, president and CEO of Silicon Ranch. Farr went on to explain that Meta's commitment to support their operations with 100 percent renewable energy is "directly responsible" for the company's own commitment to invest more than $2.3 billion across more than a dozen rural communities in Georgia, Tennessee, and Kentucky. Farr continued: "As a company that calls this region home, we look forward to being active members of each community for decades to come."

Alongside the seven projects announced by Meta, it is also partnering with Silicon Ranch on 16 solar facilities to serve its operations in Georgia and the Tennessee Valley, totalling a capacity of approximately 1,500 MWAC.