Companies
Clayco Launches New Solar and Energy Storage Business Unit
Clayco said its power and energy unit's engineering, procurement, and construction services will help accelerate energy projects such as this solar array of undisclosed capacity in a location not specified by the firm.
Photo courtesy Clayco
Clayco has launched a business unit for utility-scale energy project engineering, procurement and construction services that the Chicago-based design-build firm expects will generate $300 million in company revenue and employ nearly 1,000 craftworkers by 2027.
Power and Energy Vice President Ryan Johnson—a solar energy infrastructure veteran and former president of Texas-based Signal Energy Constructors—joined the firm last fall and will lead the business line, Clayco said in a March 4 announcement,
In a LinkedIn post Johnson shared that the business line already has its first solar commercial battery energy storage systems project under contract in Illinois, claiming the project is the first of several expected to mobilize in 2026. He notes clients that include utilities, independent power producers, financial sponsors and "customers delivering power to data centers and advanced manufacturing facilities.”
The unit launch is in addition to the company’s data center-focused Clayco Compute business line launched in January 2025. Despite states and municipalities moving to slow data center expansion to give constituents more time to review proposed projects, electricity demand is projected to grow 15% to 20% by 2030, according to a report by consulting firm ICF.
Last week, representatives of data center hyperscalers Microsoft, Amazon, Meta Platforms, xAI, Oracle, and OpenAI met with President Donald Trump at the White House to sign a pledge to build their own energy generation facilities to power the centers. Much of that demand is expected to be met by renewable solar and battery storage sources, Clayco added.
“Clayco is committed to supporting the country’s evolving modern infrastructure needs, and utility-scale power like solar and battery storage are central to America’s economic and industrial future,” said Clayco CEO Anthony Johnson. The company ranks at No. 21 on ENR’s 2025 Top 400 Contractors list with $6.8 billion in reported 2024 revenue and at No. 3 on the 2025 Top 100 Green Building Contractors list, with $4.8 billion in revenue.
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