According to the Environment Texas Research and Policy Center’s report Shining Cities 2022: The Top U.S. Cities for Solar Energy, Houston nearly doubled its solar capacity to 81.4 megawatts between the end of 2019 to the end of 2021, making the Greater Houston region a leader in solar power generation.
16,000 acres in designated Reinvestment Zones, represent almost $1.2 Billion in capital investment. 1,260 megawatts to the power grid, potentially powering the equivalent of 250,000 homes.
Fort Bend County, the fastest-growing county in the Greater Houston metro, is leading the way in renewable energy and sustainability. In the last few years, Fort Bend incentivized five major solar energy generation plants. These efforts go along with the city of Houston, which was recently ranked 16th in the nation for total installed solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity, moving up three spots from previous rankings. All five of Fort Bend County's solar farms are expected to be generating solar energy between the fourth quarter of 2022 and the fourth quarter of 2023 and will generate a total of 1,260 MW to the power grid, potentially powering the equivalent of 250,000 homes.
These large solar farms, which represent over 16,000 acres in designated Reinvestment Zones, represent almost $1.2 Billion in capital investment. This significant investment proves Fort Bend County is a viable solar landing place for solar and other renewable energy production facilities. Why have so many new energy companies found a home in Fort Bend? There are multiple reasons.
First, solar power must be piped into the power grid via active major transmission lines, which require the solar farms' output feeds to be positioned within a mile from those lines. Fort Bend County has several of these major transmission lines across a wide swarth of tracts to the west and south. These transmission lines enable a good infrastructure/land match between power generation and power transmission facilities.
Second, solar power requires large acreage sites. Fort Bend County has numerous single owners and smaller cooperative landowners who can make large tracts available for lease or purchase. Companies can negotiate with one or two landowners for 1,000 acres, instead of negotiating with numerous and usually uncooperative owners. This allows for ease of process and speed to market.
Throughout the local, state, and national landscape, Fort Bend County has always been known for its positive and pro-business climate. The County prioritizes economic development and is aggressive in pursuing projects that fit within the target sectors. Incentives, ease of process, speed to market, and a solution-driven approach form the foundation of the county's economic development strategy and strengthen our position within the market.
Fort Bend County remains Greater Houston's Finest Address.