- SB Energy’s two Texas solar projects 900 MW are now operational.
- The solar farms will power Google’s data centers in Dallas.
- The project employs over 1.3 million American-made solar modules.
- 3,000 U.S. workers were engaged in manufacturing and construction.
SB Energy started up three large solar projects in Texas, bringing 900 MW of power to the state’s grid. The combined group of installations is called the Orion Solar Belt and will supply clean energy to Google’s data centers in the Dallas area, powering operations of this tech giant’s cloud business.
It’s SB Energy, a renewable energy group backed by Japan’s SoftBank Group and Ares Climate Infrastructure, developing Orion I, II, and III solar farms in Milam County, Texas. The solar projects are of prime importance to power the regional data centers of Google, further propelling the state’s renewable energy growth.
Also read: Biden-Harris Administration Expands Clean Energy Investment to Rural America
SB Energy’s solar power plant is a very important step for clean energy adoption. With both the Inflation Reduction Act and carbon neutral goals of Google, this project ties together over 1.3 million U.S. manufactured solar modules plus all the steel and other components manufactured in America. This does dual benefits to the U.S. economy by reducing carbon emissions.
The energy produced in the Orion Solar Belt is being fed into Texas’ power grid, helping to offset what would be additional demand from the data centersGoogle’s electronic lodestones are heavy users of electricity, including facilities in the Dallas metro area, such as the company’s data center campus in Midlothian and a new one under construction in Red Oak.
Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm was also present at the ribbon-cutting ceremony of the Orion Solar Belt, where she praised the role of the project in promoting clean energy made in America. According to Granholm, this project “demonstrates how clean energy can be built by American workers and power American companies.” It opens up important economic and environmental impacts of the Orion Solar Belt.
Thousands of jobs have been created through the Orion Solar Belt and 3,000 U.S. workers participated in manufacturing and construction aspects of both projects. First Solar manufactured its solar modules from its Ohio plant, where the 22,800 tons of structural steel that were used in the projects came from Gerdau’s steel mills in Texas and Georgia.
Also read: DOE Invests $58 Million to Remove Carbon From the Atmosphere
One more thing that caught my attention is the implementation of smart solar technology by Nextracker in SB Energy. This technology seems to change the angle of the solar panels during the day to capture sunlight for as long as possible and thereby maximize efficiency from the panels. The construction works were carried out under the supervision of Blattner, a company based in Minnesota that has experience in working upon numerous renewable energy projects.
Google’s Energy Goals and Future Projections
The partnership is with SB Energy through a power purchase agreement that marks the biggest investment that Google has yet made in solar energy. This aligns with Google’s vision of running the entire operation on carbon-free energy by 2030. And besides relying on solar power, Google is also considering other sources of clean energy, including nuclear power from small modular reactors, to use round-the-clock.
The Orion Solar Belt will spur investment in solar power, especially through investments in the U.S. manufacturing base and job creation. The recent commitment by Google to invest over $1 billion in Texas cloud infrastructure and data centers is a positive indication of increasing demand for sustainable energy solutions.
The Orion Solar Belt is a key step in the development of renewable energy in Texas, backed by significant strides toward Google’s clean energy goals and a broader shift to carbon-free power. As renewable energy capacity continues to grow in Texas, projects like this one are helping put in place the building blocks for a clean energy future powered by sustainable American-made resources.
