Nextpower opens Southeast hub, doubles manufacturing capacity in Tenn.
Nextpower is growing its presence in Tennessee. The company just unveiled an expanded Southeast regional hub with a new remote monitoring center in Nashville, alongside a major expansion of its U.S. steel fabrication capacity in the region.
“The Southeast has entered a new era of energy infrastructure,” said Dan Shugar, founder and CEO of Nextpower, formerly Nextracker. “This new U.S. manufacturing line with our partner MSS not only doubles our Memphis factory production capacity for solar trackers, but it also helps our customers scale projects faster, brings new American jobs, and strengthens our supply chain.”
The addition of a new fabrication line, operated by MSS Steel Tubes USA based in Memphis, Tennessee, will double Nextpower’s manufacturing capacity with MSS for solar tracker systems used in utility-scale power plants across the Southeast. The existing steel fabrication line at the facility currently supports 120 skilled U.S. jobs, with 150 expected as the new line ramps up.
“We’re proud to have built a lasting and trusted partnership with Nextpower, one grounded in shared values of quality and innovation,” said António Pedro Antunes, CEO of Metalogalva Group, parent company of MSS. “Together, we’ve firmly established production capacity here in Tennessee to serve the growing demand for solar power infrastructure across the Southeastern United States.”
Supporting solar growth in the Southeast
According to the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, the Southeast added 5 GW of solar in 2024 alone, pushing total capacity to nearly 28 GW, and is on track to nearly double that total to 54 GW by 2030. Nextpower’s fabrication capacity will support utility-scale solar power plants across Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and Virginia — many of which are developed, owned, and operated by Tennessee-based Silicon Ranch Corp., one of the largest independent power producers in the country.
“In our first 15 years, Silicon Ranch installed more than 4 GW of solar energy capacity, one of the largest operating fleets in the United States, and we will double that figure over the next three years,” said Reagan Farr, Silicon Ranch co-founder and CEO. “Nextpower’s expansion in Tennessee helps us do so while enabling us to support additional investments in domestic manufacturing; this is what ‘unleashing American energy’ looks like.”
Shugar added, “Silicon Ranch pioneered utility-scale solar in the Southeast and continues to lead the way in delivering high quality projects that serve the region’s increasing demand for electricity.”
To celebrate economic growth in the Southeast and its expansion, Nextpower will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony at its new Nashville office, featuring Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell, executives from Silicon Ranch and MSS Steel Tubes, representatives from major U.S. steel suppliers, and officials from the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce and the Tennessee Valley Authority. The event includes guided tours of Nextpower’s new Remote Monitoring Center, which connects Nashville-based engineers to Nextpower solar tracker projects around the world.
“Nextpower’s expansion is a powerful example of the innovation and economic momentum taking place across Tennessee,” said Josh Brown, president and CEO of the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce and Industry. “This investment supports new jobs, deepens our state’s manufacturing capabilities, and positions Tennessee to remain a national leader as demand for clean energy and advanced infrastructure accelerates.”
