Silicon Ranch construction progressing
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Construction of the Silicon Ranch sub-station has begun with grading the site located off Cumberland Springs Road. The final site plan for the sub-station was approved at the December Planning and Zoning meeting. Representatives from Silicon Ranch will attend the May Metro Council meeting for approval of the final full site plan.
Construction on the power plant itself is expected to begin late summer or early fall of this year. The bulk of the construction of the full site should be completed by the end of 2026, with some testing and “punch list” items extending into 2027. Once completed, operations and maintenance can be accomplished with one or two pickup trucks or vans.
There will be several construction entrances to the property, which is located on both sides of Highway 55 in Moore County. Those entrances will be located on West Lincoln Street out of Tullahoma, Cumberland Springs Road, Five Points Road, and Raysville Road, with Cumberland Springs Road being the primary entrance. Therefore, there will be construction traffic, including tractor trailers delivering building supplies, on all these roads at some points. Silicon Ranch will coordinate with Moore County Highway Department on their construction schedule so signs can be placed to alert drivers, in accordance with their building permits.
Silicon Ranch has a legal agreement with Moore County Highway Department to repair any damage done to roadways during the process. According to Superintendent Shannon Cauble, a video road survey has already been completed to document the present condition of all the affected roadways. These roadways will be continually monitored during construction, and Silicon Ranch is legally bound to make repairs as needed.
Silicon Ranch brought the first commercial solar farm to Tennessee in 2012. Since then, they have completed over 150 facilities in 15 states. There are over 35 in the TVA region alone. When considering the Moore County site, Silicon Ranch held an open public meeting specifically to answer questions from residents. They also sent out more than 100 invitations to land owners adjacent to the solar farm property. Silicon Ranch owns and operates their facilities, and are leaders in agrivoltaics, or dual use of their facilities for power generation and agriculture.
