Latest news with #SiliconRanch
National Post
7 hours ago
- Business
- National Post
Silicon Ranch Makes Strategic Investment in Swap Robotics
Article content Investment bolsters Silicon Ranch's agribusiness and land stewardship program while enabling Swap Robotics to expand operations and product development across the solar sector Article content Article content NASHVILLE, Tenn. & KITCHENER, Ontario — Silicon Ranch, the developer, owner, and operator of one of the nation's largest fleets of solar facilities, today announced a strategic investment in Swap Robotics, a pioneer in utility-scale solar robotic operations through its leading solar robotics platform. As part of the investment, Silicon Ranch Co-Founder and CEO Reagan Farr will join the board of directors at Swap Robotics. Article content Silicon Ranch is an industry leader that specializes in solar energy, agrivoltaics, and carbon solutions and employs a full-stack approach from development to long-term ownership and operation of its energy infrastructure projects, including the underlying real estate. The company is uniquely committed to land stewardship practices that restore and preserve the land beneath and around its arrays, and through its wholly-owned agribusiness, Regenerative Energy®, Silicon Ranch integrates regenerative ranching and other land stewardship practices that restore soil health, promote biodiversity, and improve water quality at its sites. Swap Robotics' 100% electric, autonomous robots align seamlessly with Silicon Ranch's high standards for land management, innovation, and environmental stewardship. Article content 'As part of Silicon Ranch's commitment to asset ownership and economic development, we own our land rather than lease it, and accordingly we embrace our responsibilities as land stewards through our agribusiness Regenerative Energy®,' said Silicon Ranch Co-Founder and CEO Reagan Farr. 'For the past couple of years, our team has explored several options to complement the managed livestock grazing activities of our shepherds and our company-owned flock of sheep. Following a successful pilot of Swap Robotics' technology, we determined that the mission, operational model, and strong leadership team at Swap Robotics align well with our vision of innovatively scaling a fully integrated agrivoltaics program that can be deployed across our fleet from coast to coast. We are pleased to make this strategic investment in Swap Robotics to help expand its business for the benefit of our entire industry.' Article content The investment from Silicon Ranch follows previous significant investments in Swap Robotics, including a $7 million investment round led by SOLV Energy in February 2023 and a $3 million investment from Array Technologies (NASDAQ: ARRY) in November 2024. This additional investment from Silicon Ranch will help propel Swap's momentum as it seeks to expand further within the North American solar sector, having already maintained thousands of acres of solar sites through dozens of robots deployed. Article content 'Soon after our founding in 2019, we set out to be the category creator of a solar robotics platform,' said Swap Robotics Founder and CEO Tim Lichti. 'This latest investment recognizes our position as a leader in the category and allows us to continue innovating and expanding in what is still an early and rapidly growing industry in North America. It's also a tremendous vote of confidence coming from Silicon Ranch, a respected pioneer and leader in solar development, operations, and sustainable land management.' Article content Silicon Ranch currently owns approximately 50,000 acres of land—a number that will more than double in the next few years—and its Asset Management team was impressed by Swap's innovative, purpose-built robots that combine efficiency with advanced autonomous technology. The robots can be quickly deployed across large sites, complementing Silicon Ranch's own flock of sheep for vegetation management. Additionally, Swap's battery-powered robots can operate both during the day and at night, and they are significantly quieter compared to conventional mowers. Article content 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 seven 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 unrivalled track record of project execution. Silicon Ranch has the largest wholly-owned agrivoltaics portfolio in the country under Regenerative Energy®, its nationally recognized agribusiness and holistic approach to project design, construction, and land stewardship. This model incorporates regenerative ranching and other regenerative land stewardship 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. Follow Silicon Ranch on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Article content Swap Robotics is a leading robotics company for utility-scale solar construction, operations and maintenance. Swap Robotics is the category creator of solar robotics platforms. In the O&M phase, Swap robots address what can be the single largest line-item expense for utility-scale solar sites: managing the vegetation. Both the hardware and software of Swap's 100% electric robotics platform is designed and built in-house. Having pioneered the world's first 100% electric 'rough cut' and offsettable cutting decks, Swap robots cut the vegetation on thousands of acres of solar sites. The Swap Robotics platform can also address the single biggest labor expense in the EPC phase: laying solar panels. Additionally, the solar robotics platform can perform robotic materials movement on solar sites, such as staging i-beams, torque tubes and pallets of solar panels. Swap's practical approach is the result of Swap staff and robots having worked on solar sites for years. Swap Robotics has investments from several global leaders in the solar industry, including the world's largest solar EPC and O&M, the world's second largest solar tracking company, and some of USA's largest solar asset owners and solar vegetation management companies. Swap's ten-year goal is to be the clear world leader in utility-scale solar robotics. Swap is on a mission to speed the clean energy transition through becoming the leading outdoor work robotics platform. Follow Swap Robotics on LinkedIn. Article content Article content Article content Article content Contacts Article content Article content Article content
Wall Street Journal
3 days ago
- Business
- Wall Street Journal
The South Is Having Second Thoughts About Trading Pine Trees for Solar Panels
PERRY, Ga.—Hunters, botanists, residents worried about water quality and people citing Scripture lined up to oppose the installation of 2,100 acres of solar panels next to a wildlife preserve. But it was the plight of the local black bears that doomed the proposal from Silicon Ranch, one of the South's largest solar operators.
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Dutch investor AIP Management invests $500M in US solar producer
This story was originally published on ESG Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily ESG Dive newsletter. AIP Management, a Netherlands-based energy and decarbonization infrastructure investor is investing $500 million in full-service United States solar company Silicon Ranch, AIP announced Thursday. Silicon Ranch, a Nashville,Tennessee-based utility-scale energy infrastructure developer, constructor, owner and operator, has 3.6 gigawatts of operational energy capacity and 3.7 GW of capacity contracted or under construction, according to the April 3 release. AIP said the investment 'reinforces [its] confidence in the resilience of U.S. clean energy and the strong fundamentals supporting large-scale renewables.' According to the release, AIP joins Silicon Ranch's existing investors, including Shell, Manulife Investment Management and TD Asset Management. The investment in Silicon Ranch marks AIP's second investment in an independent power producer, following a previous investment in a European producer, according to the release. Silicon Ranch is one of the largest independent power producers in the U.S., according to Solar Power World, with operations in 15 U.S. states and Canada. AIP sees opportunity in an expected significant rise in U.S. electricity demand over the next few years 'driven by industrial growth, AI and data centres and manufacturing reshoring,' the release said. The Dutch investor believes Silicon Ranch is 'well-positioned to play a meaningful role in helping serve the unprecedented load growth.' 'Silicon Ranch is a leading [independent power producer] with profound local expertise, an embedded presence in the communities it serves and a fully integrated approach to delivering clean power at scale,' AIP CEO and Managing Partner Kasper Hansen said in the release. 'Our investment supports its continued growth and reflects our confidence in businesses with strong fundamentals and the ability to drive the energy transition forward.' Silicon Ranch was founded in 2011 and is known for being the first company to deploy utility-scale solar in Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi and Tennessee, according to the release. In addition to its operational, under construction and contracted energy capacity, Silicon Ranch also has more than 12 GW in its 'near- and mid-term development pipeline.' The company aims to have more than 10 GW of operational capacity by 2030. Silicon Ranch CEO and President Reagan Farr said the investment, along with the support of its other shareholders, will allow the company to execute on its growth strategy and 'deliver necessary energy infrastructure, all while helping American communities become stronger, healthier and more resilient.' 'Silicon Ranch is pleased to welcome AIP as our newest strategic partner and eager to add their rich experience in long-term infrastructure investment and deep understanding of our sector to our shareholder base,' Farr said in the release. As a full-service energy producer — with in-house engineering, procurement and development capabilities, Silicon Ranch is able to 'secure premium project locations' and execute long-term power purchase agreements that typically average 21 years in length. That strategy also gives Silicon Ranch the ability 'to re-power and re-contract existing assets, yielding additional upside for an increasingly scarce asset class.' AIP's investment in Silicon Ranch was announced a few days after another U.S.-based investment for the asset manager. Earlier last week, on April 1, the Dutch investor acquired a 49.99% equity stake in a Texas-based Pine Forest solar and storage project. The Pine Forest project co-locates a 300 megawatt alternating current solar photovoltaic project and a battery energy storage system project with 2000 MW and 400 megawatt hours of capacity. That project is owned by Clearway Energy Group — which will retain the remaining 50.01% of equity, and AIP's investment was worth approximately $200 million, according to an April 1 release. Sign in to access your portfolio
