BUCKHOLTS, Texas (KXXV) — A partnership between solar developers and Google in Milam County is bringing billions of dollars of investment and jobs to the community, and is now commercially operational.
- SB Energy's Orion Solar Belt helps power Google's data centers
- Investment has helped with local revenue
- Expected to be the first utility-scale projects to qualify for the domestic content bonus
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
“It’s going to be generating nearly a gig a watt of power that will power businesses homes schools hospitals and of course google’s data center,“ said Benjamin Sloss with Google.
Solar panels provide clean energy, which experts say Texas needs to keep up with growth.
“You’re like, number one in wind, number two in solar but going up to number one really there is so much happening here in Texas,“ said Jennifer Granholm, U.S. Secretary of Energy.
Every part of the solar panel is made in America — something the U.S. energy secretary says makes her proud.
“We want products made in America we want them stamped made in America,” Granholm said.
The company built three solar farms side by side in Buckholts, which is southwest of Temple in Milam County.
The plant has more than 3,000 employees and can provide 875 megawatts of clean energy — that is nearly the size of a typical nuclear facility.
“We’re able to come and utilize that history and now build a plant that will be here for another 35 to 40 years,” said Rich Hossfeld with SB Energy.
Milam County Commissioner Henry Hubnik says the location is a hub between the bigger cities and it's been a great help.
“With tax revenues and donations to county and the local areas,” said Henry Hubnik, Milam County Commissioner Pct. 1.
He believes the community is catching on to this new wave of clean energy.
“There’s more and more houses and shops going with solar panels on them,” Hubnik said.
