Pecos County Prepares for Solar Energy Plant

An Arizona-based company is looking to tap into the powerful West Texas rays as it plans a new solar power plant expected to rank among the biggest in Texas. The firm, First Solar, will build and operate a 22-megawatt solar plant west of Fort Stockton in Pecos County. First Solar will break ground on the Barilla Solar Project this week, the company said, with the plant expected to go online as early as June.

“This is an important step forward in our efforts to establish West Texas as a center for renewable energy,” Pecos County Judge Joe Shuster said. “We are not resting on our legacy of leadership in oil and gas. We welcome solar as the next new component in our portfolio of energy resources.”

Unique about the Barilla project is that its developers are forging ahead without signing a power purchase agreement, which would guarantee a buyer for its energy. Though First Solar may eventually ink such a deal, its representatives say they feel confident that their solar energy can compete by itself with other fuels on the open market. With the immense solar resources in West Texas, it is beneficial for a utility-scale project and can be part of the regular mix of generation.

“Not only will this solar plant produce clean energy to benefit the State of Texas,” Nevárez states. “It is an important stride in job creation for the West Texas region. A congratulations is in order to the Pecos County and Fort Stockton officials that worked hard to create this opportunity for the area.”