Company co-founded by Bredesen plans solar farm in Jackson

Friday, August 20, 2021, Vol. 45, No. 34

MEMPHIS (AP) — A startup company co-founded by former Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen is funding a new, 1 million-watt solar farm in the city of Jackson.

The company, named Clearloop, plans to break ground on the solar farm on Sept. 2, according to a news release issued by the startup Wednesday. The farm will provide enough energy to power 200 homes, the company said.

The groundbreaking event will include a virtual reality experience, barbecue and ice cream.

"We will also invite members of the public to bury a time capsule to signify all of the things we want to make a relic of the past, including carbon," Clearloop said.

Bredesen, a Democrat, served as Tennessee's governor from 2003 to 2011. He lost a U.S. Senate race to Republican Marsha Blackburn in 2018.

Clearloop said it works with companies "to reclaim their carbon footprint and expand access to clean energy" by building new solar farms.

Jackson is located about 85 miles (136 kilometers) east of Memphis.