LCRA adds solar power to generation portfolio

Special to The Highlander

The Lower Colorado River Authority announced Thursday, July 11, it has signed a contract to add 141 megawatts (MW) of solar power to its generation portfolio to serve its wholesale customers beginning in 2021.

Under the contract, LCRA will purchase renewable energy from a solar plant to be built in Borden County. The solar power will supplement LCRA’s other renewable energy, including 295 MW available from hydroelectric generation at dams along the Highland Lakes and 10 MW from a south Texas solar plant under construction.

“We are pleased to be adding a significant amount of renewable energy to our portfolio,’’ said Phil Wilson, LCRA general manager. “Our wholesale customers told us they were interested in renewable power that also makes sense economically, and we researched numerous options before determining the new Borden County solar plant meets both of those requirements.”

Under the agreement, LCRA will acquire just under half the power from the new Juno solar plant in west Texas. The plant is being built by Intersect Power, a developer with approximately 2 gigawatts (GW) of contracted late-stage projects in California and Texas and a total pipeline of over 4 GW of solar-powered projects.

Financial terms of the transaction are not being disclosed.

LCRA sells wholesale electricity through long-term contracts to cities and electric cooperatives, including Pedernales, Bluebonnet and Bandera electric cooperatives. For a full list of LCRA customers, visit LCRA.org/energy.

Find this story and more local news in The Highlander, the newspaper of record for the highland lakes. To offer a comment or news tip, email lew@highlandernews.com.