Carroll County Electric is already seeing financial benefits from the new Silicon Ranch solar farm in Trezevant.
General Manager Ryan Drewry reported that the system saved the department more than $98,000 in July at the utility’s board of directors meeting on Thursday, August 28. He also discussed Leach Substation construction, and addressed issues the department had with their phone lines during the day.
Carroll County Electric purchases the output of the Trezevant solar farm through a long-term power agreement with Silicon Ranch.
The arrangement allows the utility to buy locally generated electricity at a rate lower than what TVA would charge for the same demand and energy, creating direct monthly savings for the department.
Of the total savings in July, nearly $69,000 came from demand savings.
Drewry explained that when the solar array was generating at the same time TVA hit its systemwide peak, the locally produced power offset costs that would otherwise have been passed on to Carroll County Electric.
“That’s not something you can expect every month,” he cautioned, “but in July we had about five and a half megawatts online during TVA’s peak, and that lined up perfectly.”
The remaining $29,000 in savings came from reduced energy costs, which Drewry said will provide consistent benefits every month the system is producing.
With 6.5 megawatts of capacity, Drewry said the farm’s annual savings are already expected to exceed initial projections of $40,000 to $50,000 annually per megawatt hour.
“This is an outstanding start,” he told the board.
Looking Ahead
Drewry said a public “flip the switch” celebration is being planned for late spring or early summer of 2026.
That timeline will give the site time to settle and improve in appearance following the heavy construction phase.
Bonds and Substation
In other business, Drewry updated the board on financing for the department’s upcoming projects.
The final audit report is expected soon, which will allow Carroll County Electric to move forward with bond ratings and issue bonds in October.
Those funds will help finance the new Leach Substation.
The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) is expected to give its approval on the project’s environmental assessment shortly, clearing the way for contractors to begin work.
Phone Service Disruption
The department also dealt with a disruption in service earlier in the day when a 96-count TEC fiber line was cut, taking down phone lines.
Internet access switched over to a backup line, but voice communications were down until repairs were completed.
Drewry said that technicians monitored the outage map for customer power disruptions.
Carroll County Electric’s next board meeting is September 25.
