New US Solar Power Plant features soil and habitat restoration.

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Despite the abrupt shift in federal energy policy this year, the march of renewable energy technology continues apace. Solar power plants are the quickest and most economical way to get more kilowatts flowing into energy-thirsty communities in the US, as capably demonstrated by a new 100-megawatt solar project slated for South Carolina. It’s not a particularly big project by today’s standards, but it does illustrate how three powerful strands of the sustainable energy future are coming together in the US.

Solar Power & Data Center Energy Demand

The first strand comes up on the demand side, where data center stakeholders are scrambling to get their hands on new power generation resources as quickly as possible. Meta is among those depending on gas to fill the breach, but the company also has a long track record of cultivating renewable energy resources dating back to the Obama administration, particularly in regards to solar power.

The solar angle is at work in South Carolina, where Meta is building a new data center at the Sage Mill Industrial Park, near Graniteville. The data center energy plan involves a new 100-megawatt solar farm to be constructed by the leading solar developer Silicon Ranch.

The fresh burst of solar activity in South Carolina is a welcome development for renewable energy fans. Solar development in the state peaked in 2020, only to hit the doldrums over the following years. As of this writing South Carolina still ranks a respectable #22 in installed solar capacity in a 50-state ranking, though the Solar Energy Industries Association puts it down at a lowly #39 for capacity added in 2024.

Whether or not Meta can contribute to a sustained solar renaissance in South Carolina remains to be seen. The going will be tough, considering that federal energy policy makers have the knives out for both wind and solar power. Nevertheless, up through last year the US solar industry firmly established itself as the preferred pathway for growing the nation’s power generation resources.

Meta also notes that the Orangeburg County project is the 18th in a string of solar power plants pairing it with Silicon Ranch to support its operations across four states, for a total capacity topping 1,500 megawatts. If Meta intends to follow up its first data center in South Carolina with more, then additional solar power investments could be in the works.

Local Power Generation & The Rural Electric Cooperative Angle

The second strand of support for the solar movement comes from the nation’s sprawling network of rural electricity cooperatives.

For those of you new to the topic, rural electric cooperatives play an essential role in the nation’s power grid. They are not-for-profit energy providers authorized under federal rules established as part of the economic development initiatives of the Great Depression. At the time, 90% of rural households lacked electricity. When private utilities declined to fill the gap, local farmers and other community stakeholders organized to establish member-supported electricity providers of their own (see more electric cooperative background here).

To connect Orangeburg County’s new solar power plant with off-takers, Silicon Ranch will rely on the Central Electric Power Cooperative. Headquartered in Columbia, South Carolina, Central is a generation and transmission cooperative. The distribution end of things will be taken up by Central’s network of 19 local electric cooperatives. If all goes according to plan, both the new data center and the new solar power plant will be up and running in 2027.

The Orangeburg County project is not a one-off for Central. It is the fourth in a string of similar projects pairing it with Silicon Ranch, and Central has indicated that it will not be the last. “As the power supplier for South Carolina’s 19 electric cooperatives, Central is laser-focused on meeting our state’s growing energy demands at competitive prices and in a safe and responsible manner,” Central President and CEO Rob Hochstetler emphasized in a press statement announcing the new solar project.

Aside from safety and responsibility, the local community will also make bank off the new project to the tune of $8 million in new tax revenue. As with similar solar developments around the US, the funds will be used for schools and whatever other civic projects the local community has in mind.

Industrial Solar Is Not So Industrial After All

Meta’s new solar power project also illustrates a third strand, in which the solar industry is pushing back against the “industrial solar” canard that has fueled opposition to solar development on farms. Partly with an assist from fossil energy stakeholders, local opponents have rallied around the idea that energy production is not an appropriate use of farmland.

That would certainly surprise the many US farmers who depend on corn, soy, and other energy crops for their living. For that matter, much of the US agricultural scene is characterized by thoroughgoing habitat destruction along with various pieces of infrastructure, plastic crop covers, heavy machinery, chemical treatments, and other hallmarks of industrial activity.

The solar industry can provide a more sustainable pathway for farmers to produce energy on their land, by restoring pollinator-friendly native plants in between the solar panels. Within the emerging field of agrivoltaics, solar developers are also partnering with farmers to introduce livestock grazing and human food crops into solar arrays, enabling them to continue earning farm-style revenue while enjoying income from their solar leases.

The soil restoration principles of regenerative farming are also in play under the agrivoltaic umbrella, and Silicon Ranch is among the growing number of solar developers to integrate soil restoration into their business models. Unlike housing developments, fulfillment centers, and other hardcore infrastructure intruding upon the rural landscape, solar power plants are not permanent fixtures. They can earn revenue for farmers while enabling the soil within and around the array to take a rest from farm work. The land can be returned to agriculture when the solar contract is up.

From that perspective, solar power plants are another tool in the farmland preservation toolkit, as a complement to longstanding government programs that pay farmers to take their land out of production for periods of time. The soil and habitat restoration model is also being applied to solar arrays on former industrial sites as well.

Silicon Ranch has stated that the Orangeburg County project will fall under its Regenerative Energy program, which calls for establishing a diverse population of deep-rooted grasses and other pollinator-friendly vegetation within and around the solar array.

Solar Power To The Rescue

In this day and age of tariff wars and energy policy turmoil, farmers can use all the help they can get. The University of Arkansas is among those raising the alarm about a rise in farm bankruptcies this year. In July the school reported that nationwide, Q1 2025 farm bankruptcy filings outpaced Q1 2024 filings, indicating a return to the tariff-related financial strain of 2018-19.

To the extent that solar power plant leases can help more US farmers avoid bankruptcy, that’s a good thing, right? If you have any thoughts about that, drop a note in the comment thread. Better yet, find your representatives in Congress and let them know what you think.

Photo (cropped): Silicon Ranch and Meta are bringing a new 100-megawatt solar power plant to South Carolina, along with a land stewardship plan for soil and habitat cultivation among the solar panels (courtesy of Silicon Ranch).