ACCIONA has begun construction of the 317-MW Fort Bend Solar Farm outside Houston, Texas, its first PV plant in the United States. ACCIONA plans to double its renewable energy capacity in the U.S. with the addition of more than 1,200 MW of solar photovoltaic energy by the end of 2023.
“The start of construction of Fort Bend is a milestone in ACCIONA’s history in the United States, as it is our first PV project in the country,” said Joaquín Castillo, CEO of ACCIONA Energy in the U.S.
ACCIONA will invest $280 million in the Fort Bend solar plant, which will have a significant economic impact on Fort Bend County, where the solar plant is located, with the creation of up to 450 jobs during peak construction, and millions in annual tax payments to the county and local school districts. The PV plant will be operational in 2022.
In addition, the project will be part of ACCIONA’s Social Impact Management program, which re-invests a portion of the project’s annual revenue into community efforts to improve education, wellness and environmental stewardship.
ACCIONA also owns and operates three wind farms totaling more than 400 MW of capacity in Texas.