The company planning a 2,000-acre solar farm in Stockton has previously faced a lawsuit and community outcry in Georgia.
Silicon Ranch has developed more than 180 solar facilities. The company previously lost a $135 million lawsuit filed by a family in Georgia. However, a judge ruled the judgment was excessive, and a settlement has been reached.
According to the lawsuit, Nashville-based Silicon Ranch Corp. and its contractor, IEA Inc., were sued by Shaun and Amie Harris, of Lumpkin, Ga., after clearing 1,000 acres of timberland and farmland without adequate measures for erosion and sediment control, according to court documents. The couple, who used nearby land for fishing and hunting, said their property was polluted every time it rained, inundating wetlands and destroying their lake.
The court found the companies "created, operated and maintained a nuisance."
Attorneys for the plaintiff said during the trial that the companies named in the lawsuit tried to place blame elsewhere. Silicon Ranch maintained that it relied on its contractor for best management practices and disagreed with the verdict.
"As the long-term owner of this facility, Silicon Ranch remains committed to the continued success of Stewart County and the surrounding region," the company stated in a press release. "While we sincerely regret the unintentional damage to our neighbor's property, Silicon Ranch does not believe the verdict in this trial is supported by the facts in this case."
Although a settlement has been reached, the lawsuit and other concerns, including wildlife management and a black bear population, led to the Houston County, Ga. Commission rejecting a solar farm project there. In 2024, developers heard public outcry over a planned development in Kathleen, Ga. The company said it planned to install panels on 2,100 acres of a 4,600-acre piece of property zoned for agriculture. The commission voted against rezoning the property.
Silicon Ranch already operates a solar farm in Perry, Ga., where it uses sheep for landscaping. Developers told WKRG they also plan to have sheep at the Stockton site. They said they will not build on wetlands and will use less than the 4,500 acres they plan to purchase.
Hundreds gathered for a town hall in Stockton on Monday, calling for officials, including the Baldwin County Commission and the Alabama Public Service Commission, to step in and stop the solar farm proposed by Silicon Ranch.
The Georgia farms power residential homes and businesses. The Stockton project would support a Meta data center near Montgomery.
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