120 Megawatt East Pecos Solar Facility Now Operational In Texas
Southern Power, a subsidiary of Southern Company, announced on April 5 that its East Pecos Solar Facility, located in Pecos County, Texas, is now operational. Construction of the 120 megawatt facility began in February, 2016. It is comprised of 1.2 million solar panels manufactured by First Solar and covers nearly 1,000 acres. It will service utility customers in the Austin area.
“The East Pecos Solar Facility joins our growing renewable fleet in Texas, and we look forward to operating it for the benefit of our customers,” said Southern Power President and CEO Buzz Miller. “By providing clean, affordable, wholesale generation, we are able to deliver on our promise to help build the future of energy.”
The facility was built by First Solar, which will also maintain and operate it. Southern Power has signed a 15-year power purchase agreement with Austin Energy, which is purchasing the energy and associated renewable energy credits. The electricity will help meet the Austin City Council goals for renewable energy and carbon reduction.
“Austin Energy was an early adopter of West Texas wind power and is pleased to take delivery of the power generated by the East Pecos Solar Facility,” said Austin Energy General Manager Jackie Sargent. “We currently supply more than 30 percent of our customers’ needs from renewable power and are well on our way to our target of 55 percent supply by 2025.” With three solar projects in Texas, Southern Power has one of the largest utility scale solar portfolios in the state.
Southern Power has announced, acquired, or is constructing approximately 3,200 MW of renewable ownership with 36 solar, wind, and biomass projects across the United States. In all, the Southern Company system has added or announced more than 6,500 MW of renewable energy projects since 2012.
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Texas has emerged as one of the leading states in the US for renewable energy use. Last December on a blustery day, electricity from wind turbines accounted for more than 45% of all the state’s energy needs. The turbines added 15,000 megawatts of electricity to the Texas grid that day according to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, the state’s grid operator.
Source: PR News Wire
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