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A vast 600 MW Texas solar farm just hit a major milestone

Renewable developer Vesper Energy has installed the last of more than 1.36 million solar panels covering six square miles at Hornet Solar in Swisher County, Texas.

Once it’s online, Hornet Solar will generate 600 megawatts (MW) of clean energy – enough to power 160,000 homes annually.

“The seamless coordination between our team and our EPC partner, Blattner, has enabled us to remain ahead of schedule and on budget while ensuring quality throughout the process,” said Juan Suarez, co-CEO at Vesper Energy.

Hornet Solar uses bifacial solar panels mounted on a single-axis tracking system to maximize efficiency. The solar farm is connected to Oncor Electric’s transmission system within ERCOT and is contracted to provide power to four off-take partners through individual Virtual Power Purchase Agreements (VPPAs).

The Hornet Solar project in the Texas Panhandle is on track to be fully online by spring 2025.

Texas is a utility-scale solar leader in the US, with a ranking of No. 2 and 37,713 MW currently installed. It’s projected to install 51,144 MW over the next five years and move into the No. 1 spot, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA). The total solar investment in the state is $45.2 billion.

On January 21, the SEIA, Conservative Texans for Energy Innovation (CTEI), Advanced Power Alliance (APA), and the Texas Solar + Storage Association (TSSA) reported that existing and expected utility-scale solar, wind, and battery storage projects will contribute over $20 billion in total tax revenue – and pay Texas landowners $29.5 billion – over the projects’ lifetimes.

Read more: Texas just became No 1 in the US for most utility-scale solar


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Avatar for Michelle Lewis Michelle Lewis

Michelle Lewis is a writer and editor on Electrek and an editor on DroneDJ, 9to5Mac, and 9to5Google. She lives in White River Junction, Vermont. She has previously worked for Fast Company, the Guardian, News Deeply, Time, and others. Message Michelle on Twitter or at michelle@9to5mac.com. Check out her personal blog.


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