May 28, 2016
Texas

Big solar, wind projects in Panhandle are delayed

By AARON DAVIS | Amarillo Globe-News | May 27, 2016 | amarillo.com

Lincoln Clean Energy has yet to break ground on the 201 megawatt TX Nazareth Solar project in Castro County which was scheduled to go online in September, according to a review of documents from the Electric Reliability Council of Texas.

The project would be the first commercial-grade solar power project in the Texas Panhandle when completed.

The project was initially estimated to cost at least $183 million and provide 100 megawatts of solar energy. A revision in July 2015 doubled the capacity.

The solar facility is proposed to be built off of State Highway 86 in Castro County near the intersection of County Road 503, which is about six miles east of Nazareth and 10 miles west of Tulia.

Tulia Independent School District has signed an agreement with Lincoln Clean Energy, the project developer, after the expansion in scope in 2015.

The only thing holding the project back is a financial security filing with the transmission service provider to interconnect with the Texas grid and a full interconnection study.

The project will be located in the Panhandle but will only send electricity to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, or ERCOT, area.

According to the council, one megawatt of electricity can power about 200 Texas homes during periods of peak demand.

The Nazareth plant is the largest solar project scheduled to be completed in the next four years, according to ERCOT documents.

In Randall County, the Pullman Road wind turbine plant has also been delayed for similar reasons, but has a full interconnection study completed. The wind power project will generate 300 megawatts of electricity.

The Pullman Road project was scheduled for completion in October.

There are 105 wind, solar and gas projects scheduled to be completed in Texas by 2020, bringing 27,835 new megawatts of energy online.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2016/05/28/big-solar-wind-projects-in-panhandle-are-delayed/