When folks think of the Nashville Fairgrounds, they might imagine a trip to the monthly flea market or a night at the Fairgrounds Speedway or Geodis Park. But soon, the fairgrounds will also double as a solar farm.
On Oct. 20, the Metro Nashville Council approved a resolution allowing the city and Nashville Electric Service to move forward with plans to build a solar energy facility atop the roofs of the Nashville Fairgrounds expo halls and arena, a $2,348,300 project that's already been funded courtesy of the city’s 2025 capital spending plan.
The project’s estimated to generate approximately 1.8 million kilowatt hours of energy per year, which in turn would allow the city to take in an extra $100,000 to $160,000 in revenue per year.
According
to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the average U.S. household consumes about 10,500 kilowatt hours of electricity per year, meaning the fairgrounds project would produce roughly enough energy to power 170 homes.
Under the terms of the agreement council members approved this week, the city will be responsible for designing, constructing and operating the solar system, with NES purchasing the power it generates. The project’s estimated for completion in early 2027.
Austin Hornbostel is the Metro reporter for The Tennessean. Have a question about local government you want an answer to? Reach him at ahornbostel@tennessean.com.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville to turn fairgrounds rooftops into solar energy source
