North Stonington — A Tennessee company is seeking approval from the Connecticut Siting Council to install 28,971 solar panels on one-third of the 157 acres of forested land it owns off Route 184 west of Boombridge Road.
A subsidiary of Silicon Ranch Corp., which is based in Nashville and operates 135 solar facilities in 15 states, plans to clear 47 of the 157 residential zoned acres for the panels, which would measure 6 feet, 10 inches by 3 feet, 5 inches. The site comprises five lots, one of which is north of Route 184 and the other four to the south of the road.
The panels would generate 9.9 megawatts of electricity and the power would be sold to Eversource and United Illuminating. Silicon Ranch officials say the project will not only generate clean, renewable energy at a stable price but create temporary construction jobs and generate tax revenue for the town. Silicon Ranch also uses a procedure called Regenerative Energy, in which it partners with farmers to use land post-installation for cultivation of plants for livestock grazing.