Consumer-owned utility Walton Electric Membership Corporation (EMC) has executed contracts with two solar developers for three new solar projects as part of its agreement to supply 100% renewable energy for Facebook’s data center in Newton County, Georgia. The collaboration is the largest solar development project in Georgia.

Facebook chose Walton EMC as the power supplier for the Newton Data Center when it announced the 970,000-sq-ft facility in March.

Silicon Ranch and Strata Solar will construct the solar power plants that will support the new data center. The facilities will be located in Southwest Georgia.

“We are thrilled to be working with Walton EMC, Silicon Ranch and Strata Solar to bring more than 200 MW of new solar resources to Georgia,” said Rachel Peterson, vice president of data center strategy for Facebook. “We are committed to supporting all of Facebook’s operations with 100% renewable energy and these new solar facilities will help us meet that goal for our Newton Data Center. Developing these resources within the same electric grid that supports our data center will bring even more investment to the region.”

The Newton Data Center is Facebook’s ninth such data facility in the country. The centers are among the most advanced, energy-efficient facilities in the world. They use 38% less electricity than the average data center.

The solar power plants will economically benefit local communities, with ripple effects felt all across the state. Every facility will add substantial revenue to each county’s tax income which will benefit local school systems. Construction will create more than 800 jobs, with additional employment for ongoing operation and maintenance. Local labor and local contractors will fill most of these positions.

The total investment of Silicon Ranch and Strata Solar will reach more than $230 million. Collectively, this is the largest solar development in Georgia, according to SEIA.

Silicon Ranch Project

• Location: Early County, Georgia
• Size: 102.5 MWac
• Expected Completion: 2019
• Jobs created: construction – 400; operation and maintenance ­– two to three plus local contractors

The Early County facility will deploy the first locally-produced solar modules from Hanwha Q CELLS’s new manufacturing facility in Georgia.

Strata Solar Projects

• Locations: Calhoun and Colquitt Counties, Georgia
• Sizes: Calhoun – 80 MWac; Colquitt – 20 MWac
• Expected Completion: 2020
• Jobs created: construction – 400; operation and maintenance ­– two to three plus local contractors

Facebook’s emphasis on siting renewable resources within the same electric grid as its data centers created an opportunity to bring additional investment in solar generation to Georgia.

“Partnering on the project with a customer-focused, consumer-owned electric cooperative helped to inspire the collaboration,” added Matt Kisber, CEO of Silicon Ranch.

“Facebook and Walton EMC are driven by a ‘concern for community’ and a commitment to the customers they serve. These principles have made them global and national leaders in their respective markets,” said Kisber. “As the long-term owner of every solar project we develop, Silicon Ranch shares these values, and we are proud to support the renewable energy goals of Facebook’s Newton Data Center while bringing an economic shot in the arm to rural Georgia.”

“Innovative companies like Facebook, partnered with customer-focused utilities like Walton EMC, are driving renewable energy growth across the country,” said Markus Wilhelm, CEO of Strata Solar. “Strata is proud to bring our reputation for quality and efficiency to two more projects in Georgia. By partnering on clean energy projects like these, we can grow the Georgia economy while bringing significant benefits to local communities.”

News item from Walton