San Antonio's municipal power company is making a surge into solar with a sizeable new farm set to soak up the Texas sun. CPS Energy has inked a deal with Genesis Consolidated Industries Holdings for a 150-megawatt project, dubbed "Exodus 1," according to the San Antonio Report. Slated for construction in Caldwell County, the initiative is part of the utility's strategic push to completely cut out coal by 2028 and to boost their solar capacity, which currently stands at 551 megawatts.
CPS Energy President & CEO Rudy Garza expressed confidence in the new partnership. "I am proud of the work we have done to secure another 150 MW of solar energy for our growing community," Garza told KSAT. The project is poised to not only to expand the region's renewable resources but is also touted to become a cornerstone for future economic development opportunities in the Greater San Antonio area.
As the needle on solar power tilts further in its favor, CPS Energy is setting an aggressive pace with the "Exodus 1" project. Expected to be operational by summer 2025, this new installation is designed to steadily provide energy to meet the needs of the local community well into the future. Alongside bolstering the grid, the initiative is also set to enrich local education; GCI commits to plowing at least $300,000 into engineering and technical educational programs in the San Antonio area as part of the project's inception.
Robert Hayward, CEO and co-founder of GCI, echoed this sentiment of mutual benefit, noting "Exodus 1, being GCI's flagship project in the region, will make both a significant economic and grid impact within the greater San Antonio region," as reported by the San Antonio Report. This solar project, and CPS Energy's agreement to a 25-year contract with GCI.
