Silicon Ranch will partner with Columbia-based Central Electric Power Cooperative to build a 100-MW solar farm that will support Meta’s first data center in South Carolina. Meta’s development will support Silicon Ranch’s investment in the Orangeburg County solar farm.
The 100-MW solar facility will be the fourth between Silicon Ranch and Central, a generation and transmission cooperative that secures power for South Carolina’s 19 distribution electric cooperatives. In addition, the energy infrastructure project is the 18th in the growing partnership between Silicon Ranch and Meta, representing well over 1.5 GW of renewable energy capacity and investments of more than $2.5 billion by Silicon Ranch across four states to support Meta’s operations.
As part of the agreement, Silicon Ranch will fund, build, own and operate the facility in coordination with the system balancing authority, Santee Cooper. Central will purchase the solar facility’s output as part of its statewide power portfolio, serving all 19 of its member cooperatives. Aiken Electric Cooperative, one of those members, will serve the Meta facility — currently under construction in the Sage Mill Industrial Park near Graniteville.
“As Meta progresses construction on our data center in South Carolina, we are pleased to join our new utility partners Central and Aiken Electric Cooperative and our long-term trusted partner Silicon Ranch to announce this project together,” said Urvi Parekh, head of global energy at Meta. “We’re grateful to Central for supporting our energy goals in South Carolina and thrilled to expand our relationship with Silicon Ranch, who shares our commitment to have a positive impact in the communities where we locate.”
The solar project represents a capital investment of more than $100 million in Orangeburg County. Silicon Ranch estimates the solar facility will generate more than $8 million in new tax revenues to help fund local schools, infrastructure and other community-identified priorities. Silicon Ranch will also care for the land under its Regenerative Energy land stewardship program, which seeks to improve the quality of project sites by promoting multi-species grasses and pollinator habitat under and around the solar array.
Nearly all the equipment Silicon Ranch has sourced for the facility will be made in the United States.
“Domestic infrastructure and access to energy are among the most critical factors for economic development, and Silicon Ranch is pleased to partner with Central to help deliver the power generation that Meta requires in support of its significant investment in South Carolina,” said Reagan Farr, co-founder and CEO of Silicon Ranch. “We’re honored by the confidence and trust that Meta continues to place in our team to execute on their behalf and grateful to be part of this compelling journey with them while also expanding our meaningful relationship with Central with this additional investment in the state.”
The data center and Silicon Ranch’s Orangeburg County solar facility are both expected to come online in 2027.
News item from Silicon Ranch