Walton Electric Membership Corporation (EMC) has executed contracts with Silicon Ranch on behalf of Facebook to supply electricity from two solar farms totalling 125MW to the latter’s data centre in Newton County, Georgia.
Facebook chose Walton EMC as the power supplier for its Newton Data Centre when it announced the facility in March 2018.
On behalf of Facebook and Walton EMC, Silicon Ranch will fund, construct, own, operate and maintain the 25MW Appling and 100MW Lumpkin solar farms.
Appling is scheduled to come online in late 2020 and Lumpkin in 2022.
The combined projects will create more than 800 construction jobs, with additional employment for ongoing operation and maintenance, including local ranchers and farmers to care for the land.
Walton EMC chief executive Ronnie Lee said: “One of our core cooperative principles at Walton EMC is ‘Concern for Community,’ and each of our partners shares this fundamental value.
“By working together with a shared vision to do what’s right for Georgia, we’re able to work with Facebook and Silicon Ranch to drive positive economic impacts in rural communities across the state.”
Facebook head of renewable energy Urvi Parekh said: “We are committed to supporting all of Facebook’s operations with 100% renewable energy, and we are thrilled to have strong partners such as Walton EMC and Silicon Ranch to help us achieve that ambitious goal for the Newton Data Centre.
“We are proud to partner with them again for these new projects, which will bring additional investment to rural Georgia and strengthen the solar market in the region.”
Silicon Ranch co-founder and chief executive Reagan Farr said: “Throughout our work with Walton EMC and Facebook, we’ve been inspired by their spirit of collaboration and their commitment to doing things the right way.
“Walton EMC’s customer-centric approach has supported Facebook’s meaningful investments in Georgia, and together they’ve produced a multiplier effect resulting in our own significant investments in communities across the state.”
The new agreements are the third and fourth solar projects in the partnership in Georgia between Facebook, Walton EMC and Silicon Ranch.
Earlier this year, deals were agreed for 107MW and 102.5MW projects.