The people's voice of reason
The people's voice of reason
PUSC Candidate Jim Zeigler
Public Service Commission candidate Jim Ziegler announced that he will attend a community meeting by a company that is planning to turn 4,500 acres of Baldwin County forestland into a massive solar farm to power a Montgomery data center being built by Meta.
The Tennessee company that is seeking to develop the 4,500-acre site for solar panels in North Baldwin County will host a community meeting Wednesday, April 8.
Zeigler announced on social media that he will attend the meeting. Zeigler says that if he is elected, he will serve as a "Watchman" over proposed "solar sites, data centers and carbon storage if elected to the PSC on May 19."
Opponents to the Stockton area solar site claim that the project is an intrusion on the quiet rural setting of Stockton where families have lived for generations. They are also concerned that the operation will consume massive quantities of fresh water and have alleged that the project could harm adjacent wetlands, which could impact the Mobile-Tensaw Delta and Mobile Bay.
Zeigler announced his plans at an overflow citizen meeting at the Stockton Civic Center.
The three-member PSC has already voted to approve the solar site – without any public notification or public hearing.
Zeigler said that if elected he will work to revoke the agreement made by the PSC on Dec. 2, 2025.
Legislation now pending in the Alabama legislature would pause the project for a year.
If that passes, Zeigler said that would give him time to take office and implement a plan to rezone the property.
Zeigler served as State Auditor from 2015-2023 and as PSC Commissioner from 1975 to 1979. He has run unsuccessfully for a number of offices including Supreme Court and most recently Secretary of State in 2022. Zeigler is an attorney and former University of Alabama SGA President.
'Friends of the Tensaw River' will be holding a protest outside the Rhodes Civic Center starting at 5 pm.
The Silicon Ranch is a Nashville‑based solar energy company founded in 2011 that develops, owns, and operates large‑scale solar farms across the United States. Unlike many developers who sell their projects after construction, Silicon Ranch keeps long‑term ownership of every site it builds. The company currently has more than 4,000 megawatts of solar in operation, with thousands more under development. It works with utilities, electric cooperatives, major corporations, and local governments to supply renewable power.
The company promotes what it calls its regenerative land‑management program, Regenerative Energy®, which integrates solar production with soil restoration, biodiversity improvements, and managed sheep grazing. Major investors include Shell and AIP Management. Silicon Ranch has expanded rapidly across the Southeast and beyond, positioning itself as one of the nation's leading independent solar power producers. Its subsidiary Clearloop helps companies offset carbon by funding new solar projects in regions that need cleaner energy, further broadening Silicon Ranch's role in the green‑energy economy.
The company presentation and Q&A session will be at 6:30 p.m. at Rhodes Civic Center, 301 D'Olive Street, Bay Minette. Attendees are required to make a reservation at: https://gosrc.link/stockton-community-meeting.
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