The City of Houston and French energy company ENGIE have announced completion of the 50 MW SolaireHolman solar project, which will provide up to 10.5% of the city’s electricity needs under a 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA).
Located in Alpine, Texas, SolaireHolman was jointly developed and implemented by ENGIE subsidiaries Solairedirect North America and ENGIE North America. The project includes 203,840 solar panels on 360 acres and will provide electricity for Houston locations as diverse as the Hermann Park Zoo, the Bob Lanier Public Works Building, wastewater treatment plants, and several Bush Intercontinental Airport terminals.
In February, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner and the city council expanded the solar PPA from 30 MW to 50 MW, reaffirming the city’s commitment to renewable energy, reducing emissions and saving taxpayer money.
“As the energy capital of the world, it is important that Houston lead by example and show that investing in solar and renewable energy is a critical tool cities must use to prepare for the future,” says Turner.
“We’re very proud to serve the city of Houston, a national innovator and substantial customer by any measure,” comments Marc-Alain Behar, managing director for Solairedirect North America. “One of the most gratifying parts of our work at ENGIE is aligning with customers to provide the best value we can. Through SolaireHolman, the city of Houston will strengthen its energy portfolio with clean, low-cost solar power for the benefit of all the people who live and work in this vibrant community.”
The SolaireHolman plant helps solidify Houston’s national leadership in renewable energy and growing use of solar energy. For the past two years, Houston has ranked No. 1 in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) Top 30 Local Government list of the largest green power users from the Green Power Partnership. The city uses nearly 1 billion kWh of green power annually, which represents more than 89% of its total energy needs.
