Bullock County Is Getting a Major Solar Project. Here's What That Means for US.
Alabama Power just announced the Clearview Ranch Solar and Battery Project: 200 megawatts of solar, 200 megawatts of battery storage, 1,400 acres, and a location split between Macon and Bullock counties. For Little USA Solar, based in Union Springs in Bullock County, this is not news from afar. This is happening in our backyard.
The project is developed, owned, and operated by Alabama Power. Meta supports it through the Renewable Subscription Program, covering the full energy costs and receiving the renewable energy credits. Other Alabama Power customers will see no rate increase. Over 20 years, the project is projected to generate roughly $110 million in local tax revenue: $56 million to Bullock County, $27 million to Macon County, and $44 million to local schools. Construction will employ approximately 400 workers. After the build, the facility will need operations and maintenance crews for 25 years or more.
That last part matters. Solar construction and maintenance jobs require real technical training. Nationally, those crews often come from outside the region where a project is built, because local workforces haven't had the opportunity to develop those skills yet. The Black Belt doesn't have to accept that outcome. With workforce development in place before construction begins, Bullock and Macon County residents can compete for those roles from day one, and stay employed in them for decades.
At Little USA, workforce development sits at the center of what we do. We believe clean energy jobs should belong to the communities that host clean energy projects. The Clearview Ranch project proves the solar economy is arriving in the Black Belt. Our work is making sure local people are positioned to participate in it: training, agrivoltaics, and an ownership model that keeps value in Union Springs and the surrounding counties.
If you live, farm, or work in Bullock County or the surrounding Black Belt and want to understand how solar could work for you, not just around you, reach out. We are building this alongside the community.
