CALGARY, Alberta--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Silicon Ranch, one of the largest independent power producers specializing in solar energy, agrivoltaics, battery storage, and carbon solutions in the U.S., today announced that its Scotford Solar Farm has reached commercial operation near Edmonton, Alberta in Canada. The 58-megawatt (MWAC) facility—the largest behind-the-meter solar project in Canada—has the ability to supply Shell’s Energy and Chemicals Park, Scotford with enough renewable energy to power approximately 20% of the refinery’s energy needs for the next 25 years and provide 100% of its electricity needs at peak capacity.
Founded in 2011 in Nashville, Tennessee, Silicon Ranch has been hailed for its transformative work to deliver the first utility-scale projects in several markets in the southeastern U.S., including Tennessee, Georgia, Mississippi, Arkansas, Kentucky, and South Carolina. Today, the pioneering solar company adds two more “firsts” to its legacy: the Scotford Solar Farm is Silicon Ranch’s first international solar project and the first large-scale solar facility installed in Alberta’s Industrial Heartland.
As it does with every project it develops, Silicon Ranch will own, operate and maintain the solar facility and care for the land throughout the project’s lifecycle. This distinguishing characteristic of its business model underscores the company’s long-term commitment to the partners and communities Silicon Ranch serves.
“At Silicon Ranch one of our guiding principles is that we are only successful when our partners are successful, and the Scotford Solar Farm represents a successful outcome for our partners at Shell Canada and our partners in Strathcona County,” said Reagan Farr, Silicon Ranch Co-Founder and CEO. “This project not only supports Shell’s economic and operational goals, but also catalyzed our own significant capital investment in the community, and as the long-term owner of this facility and the land it occupies, Silicon Ranch will contribute critical tax revenues to help fund government-identified priorities for decades to come.”
The landmark and innovative behind-the-meter solution designed for the Scotford Solar Farm was the first of its kind in Canada and provides a replicable model for other energy and chemicals businesses to develop similar solutions to support their operations.
About Silicon Ranch
Founded in 2011, Silicon Ranch is a fully integrated provider of customized solar energy, battery storage, and carbon solutions. The company is one of the largest independent power producers in the U.S., with a portfolio that includes more than six gigawatts of solar and battery storage systems that are contracted, under construction, or operating across the U.S. and Canada. Silicon Ranch owns and operates every project in its portfolio and has maintained an unrivaled track record of project execution. Silicon Ranch has the largest wholly owned agrivoltaics portfolio in the country under Regenerative Energy®, its nationally recognized holistic approach to project design, construction, and land management. This model incorporates regenerative ranching and other regenerative land management practices to restore soil health, promote biodiversity, and improve water quality. Silicon Ranch’s carbon solutions platform, Clearloop, helps businesses of all sizes reclaim their carbon footprint by commissioning new solar projects in American communities where significant economic and environmental benefits can be achieved. To learn more, visit siliconranch.com and clearloop.us. Follow Silicon Ranch on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
About Shell Canada
Shell has been operating in Canada for more than 100 years and remains committed to the country’s energy future. Shell’s footprint in Canada includes a 40% interest in LNG Canada; shale gas positions in British Columbia (Groundbirch) and shale gas and liquids positions in Alberta (Gold Creek); the Sarnia Manufacturing Centre in Ontario and the Scotford Complex in Alberta, identified as one of Shell’s five high value energy and chemicals parks; investments in cleaner energy including the first waste to-low-carbon-fuels plant in Québec; and a growing Retail business with around 1,400 Shell-branded sites across Canada, among others.
