Invenergy, a Chicago-based global developer and operator of green energy generation and storage, announced a 1,310-megawatt solar farm in northeastern Texas on Wednesday. It will be the largest in the US upon completion.
The solar farm is currently under construction. The Samson Solar Energy Center, as it’s called, will support five major consumer brands and supply power to three Texas municipalities:
- AT&T: 500 MW
- Honda: 200 MW
- McDonald’s: 160 MW
- Google: 100 MW
- The Home Depot: 50 MW
- City of Bryan, TX: 150 MW
- City of Denton, TX: 75 MW
- City of Garland, TX: 25 MW
Located in Lamar, Red River, and Franklin counties, Samson Solar is a $1.6 billion capital investment and will support up to 600 jobs over the course of the 36-month construction period. Additionally, the project will bring more than $250 million in landowner payments and support local communities through nearly $200 million in property tax payments over the life of the project.
Samson Solar will be constructed in five phases over the next three years, with each phase commencing operation upon completion. The full project will be operational in 2023. When complete, it will produce enough energy to power nearly 300,000 American homes.
Scott Mair, president of AT&T Technology & Operations, said:
At AT&T, we believe renewable energy is good for the planet, for our business, and for the communities we serve.
With more than 1.5 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity, our portfolio delivers clean electricity to the grid, helps to create jobs and community benefits, and supports the transition to a low-carbon economy. We’re excited to participate in Invenergy’s Samson project through the largest corporate solar energy deal in the US.
Solar is projected to be the fastest-growing contributor to Texas’ power grid in the next three years, as Electrek reported in February. Solar developers are expected to add 3.5 GW of capacity from new utility-scale solar projects this year and 5.5 GW in 2021.
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