Solar owner and operator Silicon Ranch has launched its CattleTracker technology platform, advertised as the first “commercially viable rotational grazing technology designed to integrate cattle farming with utility-scale solar.”

Touted as a massive step forward in the agrivoltaics market, the technology officially went live at Christiana Solar Ranch in Tennessee at the end of April. The technology aims to produce both renewable energy and regenerative grazing outcomes that are good for the animal, the land, and for solar generation.

“CattleTracker was born at the intersection of American energy, American manufacturing, and American farming—all areas that are under tremendous pressure to evolve and grow in this country,” says Silicon Ranch co-founder and CEO Reagan Farr. “We have long believed that doing what’s right for our country, our grid, and our economy can also benefit our land, our animals, and our farmers. The innovation we celebrate today represents the tangible application of that belief and our commitment to make it possible, and I am confident it will yield many benefits for the surrounding community and wider region for a long time to come.”

Funded and built by Silicon Ranch, the company will continue to own and operate the site in the Volunteer State. The site will directly service Middle Tennessee Electric (MTE), who is partnering with Silicon Ranch for a power purchase agreement of the renewable energy assets.

From there, MTE will use the energy generated to benefit more than 750,000 Tennessee residents who have opted into to its services.

Realizing the agrivoltaics dream at scale

The CattleTracker research team has been performing field work in anticipation of this project since 2023, the company says. Now, the team will have the opportunity to put its findings into action.

Dr. Anna Clare Monlezun, founder of Graze LLC, La Dolce Vita Ranch, and a member of the CattleTracker research team, says the new technology shows a lot of promise for the agrivoltaics market. Perhaps more importantly, she says the platform brings “real‑world validation” to the practice, providing a proof of concept at commercial scale.

“At the Christiana Solar Farm, we’re demonstrating that thoughtfully designed solar infrastructure can support normal, healthy beef cattle behavior, align with animal welfare standards, and enhance land stewardship while also delivering reliable energy,” Monlezun says. “This project provides an important foundation for continued transdisciplinary research into how regenerative grazing and energy production can successfully coexist.”

Monlezun says that putting grazing cattle under solar projects has been tried before, both in the U.S. and elsewhere. However, the difference here is that Christiana will be the first project of its size, anywhere in the world, that co-locates a cattle ranching operation with a commercial solar energy facility.

“Seeing cattle grazing on open land has always been part of who we are—it represents hard work, tradition and pride in our community,” says Middle Tennessee Electric President and CEO Chris Jones. “Now, seeing those same pastures alongside American made solar panels shows how we can honor that heritage while building for the future. This first-of-its-kind project is doing more than generating much-needed electricity for our service area—it’s proving a technology that supports local agriculture and helps put food on the table.”

Tags: agrivoltaics, CattleTracker, commercial and industrial, project, tracking, utility-scale