Solar developer Primergy Solar has closed commitments for $588 million in debt financing for a 408-megawatt (MW) solar farm south of Dallas–Fort Worth, Texas.

The Ash Creek Solar farm in Hill County, which will be near several fossil fuel plants (ie, transmission infrastructure is in place), will generate enough electricity to power 90,000 households annually. But it’s all going to Microsoft – the tech giant has signed a power purchase agreement with Primergy for 100% of Ash Creek Solar’s power.

Orion Power Generation originally developed Ash Creek Solar; Primergy acquired the project in 2021. Utility-scale solar contractor SOLV Energy is now building the solar farm, which is expected to create around 350 local full-time construction jobs.

Ash Creek Solar will provide around $100 million in tax payments to Hill County over its operating life.

Texas is currently No 1 among US states for the most solar installed, at 22,872 MW, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA). The SEIA reported last week that “from 2024-2034, Texas will lead the nation with nearly 100 GW of new solar capacity additions, outpacing the next closest state by a 2 to 1 margin.” That’s because Texas has an enormous electricity demand.

Read more: US smashes solar records in 2023 – but 2024 will bring road bumps

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