McLennan County Becoming Home to a New Kind of Farming

Located only about one mile from I-35, a $13 million solar farm will soon be constructed on 90-acres of McLennan County farmland near Bruceville-Eddy, off Franklin Road. Construction is expected to begin on the solar energy facility by June, and the farm should be operational by the end of the year.

"During the peak of construction, about 100 construction workers — employed mainly by local contractors — will work on the project," says Jeff McKay, a spokesman for California-based Cypress Creek Renewables (CCR). "In addition to this location, we plan to build another solar farm in the county. We are looking for property for that facility now."

This is the second Texas solar facility built and operated by CCR. The first one, in Walnut Springs west of Hillsboro, became operational in 2016. The company has a total of 207 projects in 13 states.

The first solar facility built and operated by Cypress Creek Renewables in Central Texas is in Walnut Springs, west of Hillsboro. It came online in 2016.

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The Franklin Road farm will consist of about 80 acres of 45,000 low-profile, pivoting solar panels, designed to have a minimal visual impact on neighbors and passers-by. The solar farm will likely not be visible from I-35.

The energy generated from the farm will be transmitted directly into a nearby substation. "The power generated from this site will provide 1,000 homes and businesses in the area with clean, affordable energy," McKay says.

Employees with the Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce have been working with CCR for about a year, helping to secure the property for the project.

Solar farms like this CCR facility in North Carolina will provide clean energy to local communities along with increased tax revenue to benefit schools and other publicly funded endeavors.

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"This is a great thing for our area and we are pleased to have Cypress Creek as part of our business community," Kristina Collins, senior vice president of economic development points out. "Over the next five years, McLennan County is expected to receive $130,000 in additional tax revenue. But the big winner is the Bruceville-Eddy School District, with more than $600,000 expected from this farm."

Renewable energy is the fastest-growing energy source globally and in the United States, making up nearly 15 percent of net U.S. electricity generation, according to McKay. "It's a growing industry, and it's the cheapest form of energy. As solar becomes more popular, the costs associated with producing solar power will continue to go down," he says.

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