Infrastructure and Energy Alternatives (IEA) has broke ground on the 25 megawatt (MW) Appling Solar Farm, located near the city of Baxley in Southeast Georgia.

Nashville-based Silicon Ranch Corporation selected IEA’s subsidiary, IEA Constructors, as the Engineer-Procure-Construct contractor for the project.

IEA is responsible for the design, procurement, construction, commissioning and handover of the facility. Silicon Ranch is funding the installation and will own and operate the array for the long-term.

IEA team will assemble and install single-axis trackers that utilize NEXTracker’s TrueCapture smart control system, enabling approximately 95,000 solar modules to track the sun from east to west. The modules are produced locally by Hanwha Q CELLS at its new manufacturing facility in northeast Georgia.

“At Silicon Ranch, we believe we can make a positive difference in the communities we serve, and we’re pleased to work with IEA to execute this vision in Appling County,” said Silicon Ranch co-founder and CEO, Reagan Farr. “Silicon Ranch is investing significantly in the local and statewide economy, deploying Georgia-produced modules, hiring local subcontractors, and recruiting from the local labor pool and military veteran community. We thank all of our partners for making this project and these investments possible.”

“Silicon Ranch is a natural partner for IEA given our renewable footprint in the Southeast region and like-minded approach to renewable construction,” said Joe Broom, IEA’s senior vice president of Solar Construction Operations. “The Southeast region is anticipated to be one of the largest areas for solar installations over the next five years. As a leading constructor of renewable energy projects, IEA is committed to meeting the continued demand for renewable energy sources in Georgia and across North America.”