14 DAY TRIAL // China is definitely not the only major player doing its best to offset its carbon footprint. Texas is following the same path, including clean green solar power in a list of assets exploitable in the long term.
Texas has recently cut the ribbon on its 30 MW farm, located in Webberville, considered the biggest facility of this kind in the entire state, occupying no less than 380 acres.
The project has been completed late last year and is already supplying consumers with eco-friendly energy, due to its array counting 127,000 PV panels harnessing sunlight and converting it into energy.
So far, officials from the farm have managed to sign a 25-year agreement with Austin Energy, selling the power generated by the plant. This achievement is very important for Austin Energy, since it has committed to obtaining 35% of its overall amount of energy from renewable sources, by 2020.
The project is expected to green up Austin, helping people minimize the carbon footprint of their households.
Noticeable changes could become part of the future, since officials from the solar farm said it would produce 61 million kilowatt-hours of clean solar energy only during its first year of operation.
The facility should generate 1.4 billion kilowatt hours of eco-friendly energy over the next quarter of the century.
Apart from the fact that it will help Austin Energy meet its sustainability goal, it will also increase air quality in Webberville, by preventing 1.6 billion pounds of CO2 from reaching the atmosphere while making the entire state invest less in costly oil and coal supplies.
"The Webberville Solar Project exemplifies Austin’s leadership and investment in a clean energy future.The City of Austin is proud to support a project that reduces emission levels in our community, provides energy during hot summer days when it is needed most and promotes new technologies that future generations can benefit from," explained Lee Leffingwell, the mayor of Austin.
According to officials involved in this project, the new solar farm will deliver enough eco-friendly energy to power 5,000 average American homes in the long term.