West of San Antonio, Texas, a massive 208-megawatt solar farm has come online, per an article published in Electrek. The solar + storage has 80 megawatt-hours of storage and can power 41,600 homes.
The new hybrid solar facility, called Zier, is located in Brackettville and marks Cypress Creek Renewable's largest solar project to date. Texas' main grid, ERCOT — which manages 90% of the state's power supply, providing energy to more than 25 million residents — already uses Zier to reduce grid strain when demand is high.
"Texas needs every available megawatt, and low-cost renewable energy has proven critical as it continues to reach new production heights in ERCOT," Judd Messer, Texas vice president of Advanced Power Alliance, said in a Cypress Creek Renewables news release.
The launch of the solar farm outside of San Antonio signals the state's step toward renewable energy sources, as the solar + storage can provide clean power throughout Texas. Solar energy and storage technology is an essential factor in meeting the state's growing energy demands.
During sunlight hours, electricity consumption is high, and solar energy has the capacity to meet those needs. However, thanks to Zier's new energy storage project, Texas can now store excess solar energy, which can then be distributed later when needed.
Bringing solar energy to the wider Texas community is also expected to have a significant economic impact on residents. According to Electrek, the Zier Solar + Storage project will generate $11.5 million in tax revenue for Kinney County. An additional $11.7 million will be allocated to the Brackett Independent School District.
Transitioning toward renewable energy sources, such as solar energy, not only helps lower the cost of energy but also helps reduce the amount of harmful pollutants that are overheating the planet. Texas has established itself as a leader in adopting solar energy, as the state has already installed 23 gigawatts, per SolarCell.
"Clean reliable power is critical to supporting the remarkable continuing growth happening in Texas," Sarah Slusser, CEO of Cypress Creek Renewables, said in a company press release. "We are incredibly proud to be bringing online more solar and dispatchable energy from batteries like ours at Zier, which have already proven vital to keeping the lights on and the air conditioning running when Texans need it most."
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