This May, National Trust Energy Capital, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the National Trust Community Investment Corporation (NTCIC), announced two successful Solar Tax Credit financial closings, including our largest investment to date.
In partnership with the Silicon Ranch Corporation, one of the largest solar developers in the United States, National Trust Energy Capital financed over $67 million in solar tax credit investments for an installation spanning nearly 600 acres in Calhoun County, Georgia. This is National Trust Energy Capitalβs largest tax credit investment to date and was made possible through NTCIC/National Trust Energy Capitalβs newly established Climate Impact and Revitalization Fund (CIRF).
Once completed, the installation will generate nearly 114 Megawatts (MW) of power and will be purchased by one of the largest electric cooperatives in the country, which currently supplies energy to over 133,000 customers in northeast Georgia. The installation site will use a regenerative approach to the installation site, allowing agricultural and animal grazing alongside the panels.
The developerβs partner, Regenerative Energy describes the process as βadaptively-managed grazing animals, diverse native plants, pollinator habitat, and wildlife work together to revitalize the soil, enhance biodiversity and resilient ecosystems, sequester carbon in the soil, and strengthen rural economies.β
National Trust Energy Capital also financed a $5.6 million solar tax credit investment to support a large-scale, SMART community solar canopy and battery storage installation in Lancaster, Massachusetts, led by developer Lodestar Energy. Once operational, the installation will generate 5.6 MW of power, generating over 6 million Kilowatt-hours (kWh) of clean energy for its user base, which includes regional schools and residential homes. You can read more about the Lodestar Nationwide portfolio here.
These two investments will begin operation in 2021 and will produce nearly 220 million kilowatt-hours of electricity each year, the clean energy equivalent of consuming over 172 million pounds of coal or 360 thousand barrels of oil annually.
The U.S. solar market surpassed 100 gigawatts (GWdc) of installed electric generating capacity, doubling the size of the industry over the last 3.5 years, according to the U.S. Solar Market Insight Q2 2021 report, released today by the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and Wood Mackenzie.
Solar had a record-setting Q1 2021 and accounted for 58% of all new electric capacity additions in the United States. The U.S. solar industry installed 5 GW of new capacity in Q1 2021, a new Q1 record, and a 46% increase over Q1 2020.
βAs the US solar market continues to grow, Iβm proud that [NT Solar] is keeping pace and pushing boundaries. Our commitment to solar investments that serve the community and our trusted partnerships, like those with Silicon Ranch Corporation and Lodestar Energy, will ensure more communities and companies across the country are able to transition to clean energy.β
Based in Nashville, Tennessee, Silicon Ranch is the U.S. solar platform for Shell and one of the largest independent solar power producers in the country. Their mission is to bring communities across the country low-cost, renewable energy, economic growth and development, job opportunities, and partnerships they can count on for the life of their solar projects. Follow Silicon Ranch Corporation on LinkedIn and Twitter for updates or learn more at siliconranch.com.
Founded in 2014, by Jeff Macel and Jaime Smith, Lodestar Energyβs goal is to develop great solar energy projects that are environmentally, socially, and financially successful. Since that time, Lodestar has successfully completed more than 30 projects with a combined value of more than $200 million dollars, which offset more than 53,000 tons of CO2 and power the equivalent of more than 13,000 homes annually.

National Trust Energy Capital is an energy tax credit investment and asset management firm with more than a decade of experience connecting investors and developers. Building on a strong foundation in solar, National Trust Energy Capital works across a broad range of energy technologies and tax credit possibilities, helping investors identify strong opportunities and developers secure reliable capital in a changing policy and market environment. National Trust Energy Capital specializes in community solar, energy storage, and projects serving low-income households or located in historically underserved areas.
National Trust Energy Capital brings investors, developers, and energy opportunities together through experienced tax credit investment and asset management expertise. Whether youβre looking to put capital to work or secure financing for an energy project, our team can help you identify opportunities, navigate complexity, and move forward with confidence.