Austin makes deal for local solar power
Monday, October 22, 2018 by Ryan Thornton
Thursday morning, in a step toward a cleaner future, City Council approved a deal between Austin Energy and East Blackland Solar Project 1 LLC to create a 144-megawatt utility-scale solar generation facility in Travis County. The deal entails a 15-year power purchase by Austin Energy of $11 million per year for a total of $165 million. The facility will feed right into the city’s energy system upon completion in 2020, putting Austin on track to meet the goal set out by the Austin Energy Resource, Generation, and Climate Protection Plan to 2027, which anticipates approximately 65 percent renewable generation from Austin Energy by 2027. Austin Energy currently sources above 30 percent of its energy from renewables, compared to 20 percent in 2015. East Blackland Solar Project 1 was chosen among more than 430 proposals from 80 separate projects following an Austin Energy request for proposal on May 4. The vote passed 9-1 with Council Member Ellen Troxclair voting no.
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