The Long Draw solar facility is expected to begin operations in summer of 2020
Image: Engie breaks ground on the Long Draw solar project in Texas. Photo: courtesy of StockSnap/Pixabay.
Engie North America has broken ground on its 225MW Long Draw solar project in Texas, US.
Located in Borden County, the solar project will consist of over 800,000 solar panels.
The solar facility is expected to begin operations in summer of 2020.
Engie North America solar development head Luis Felipe Birolini said: “We’re so glad to join with leaders here in Borden County and with our customers to support them in creating new opportunities to diversify their renewable energy sources on a meaningful scale.
“We look forward to completing the project in the summer of 2020, and to providing zero-carbon, affordable energy for years to come.”
The Long Draw solar project is expected to generate around 150 jobs during peak construction and is predicted to generate $10m in tax payments to Borden County and the Borden County Independent School District.
The Long Draw solar facility will power four Texas municipalities and electric utilities
Once completed, the solar project will supply renewable energy to four Texas municipalities and electric utilities under a 15-year power purchase agreement (PPA).
The four utilities which will receive solar energy from Engie and Long Draw will be New Braunfels Utilities (NBU), who raised the original request for the solar energy proposals, along with Denton Municipal Electric (DME), Garland Power & Light (GP&L) and Kerrville Public Utility Board (KPUB).
NBU will receive 100MW of the solar energy from the project under the PPA, while Denton will acquire 75MW and Garland and Kerville will purchase 25MW each.
NBU CEO Ian Taylor said: “New Braunfels Utilities is pleased to be a part of ENGIE’s Long Draw Solar Project, and today’s groundbreaking ceremony.
“Today culminates many months of hard work and dedication to further enable NBU to be good stewards of our environment, and to deliver affordable and reliable energy to our customers.
“This project is a great example of municipal entities working together for the best of their customers and embodies NBU’s mission in action, to provide innovative, essential services. We look forward to this project coming online in 2020.”
In September, ENGIE North America acquired a four-project Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target (SMART) Program portfolio comprising 25MW of solar capacity and 22MWh of GridSynergy energy storage capacity.