Marion County landowners are bracing for a $200 million solar farm that would spread thousands of ground-mounted panels across more than 2,000 acres of East Texas timberland, converting sunlight into electricity for homes and businesses. The Greenridge Energy Project, planned for a stretch of land south of Avinger and east of Johnson Creek Reservoir, is slated to break ground in early 2027 and reach completion by mid-to-late 2028. Once online, developers say the site could generate enough power for up to 30,000 homes.
According to Chron, the project is owned by Pathway Power LLC, a California-based developer, and will pair solar generation with a battery storage system that stores extra electricity when production is high. Carly Keatts said the batteries can help prevent blackouts by storing power during low-demand periods and releasing it when demand peaks. The facility is also expected to connect to the Southwest Power Pool, the regional transmission grid that serves Marion County.
Why Texas Needs More Power Now
Texas is facing mounting pressure to expand its electricity supply, driven by energy-intensive data centers and rapid population growth across the state. Solar-generated electricity is projected to surpass coal-fired generation nationwide for the first time in 2026, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The agency also projects Texas will account for roughly 40 percent of new U.S. solar capacity added this year.
Registered solar capacity across the Southwest Power Pool grid reached 2,114 megawatts at the end of 2025, up from 986 megawatts in 2024 and 484 megawatts in 2023, per the Southwest Power Pool. Pathway Power Vice President of Development Lisa Leipzig said recent regional grid evaluations show the grid operator faces significant capacity deficits and projected energy shortages over the next five to 10 years, as reported by Tyler Morning Telegraph.
County's Limited Leverage Over Private Land
Marion County Judge Leward LaFleur has said local government lacks the statutory authority to require environmental permits or land-use studies for solar facilities built on private property, per the same outlet's report. That leaves property tax abatement approval as the primary regulatory tool available to county commissioners. Under Chapter 312 of the Texas Tax Code, Pathway Power is seeking a tax abatement from Marion County, a request that would reduce the project's property tax costs.
Pathway Power has also committed to using domestically manufactured components and domestic labor throughout construction and operation of the Greenridge project, the outlet reported. Developer representatives announced plans to hold public open house sessions in Marion County, giving residents a chance to review project designs and ask questions before commissioners vote on formal tax abatements.
Wall Street Money and Timberland Trade-Offs
The financial backing behind Greenridge comes from Igneo Infrastructure Partners, a global investment firm that completed a preferred equity investment in Pathway Power on June 4, 2026, according to Igneo Infrastructure Partners. Igneo manages $24.5 billion in global infrastructure assets and selected Pathway Power to expand its North American clean energy portfolio, a portfolio that also includes a separate 150-megawatt battery project in Arkansas. Development plans specify that Greenridge's own battery system will run at 150 megawatts for four hours, storing up to 600 megawatt-hours to help buffer fluctuations on the grid.
About 30 percent of the project property is currently active timberland, while the remaining 70 percent sits unused, though residents have used the land for hunting and recreation. That trade-off mirrors a wider shift across the region: East Texas contains 12 million acres of productive timberland spread over 43 counties, with more than 90 percent held by private owners, according to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension. Soft pulpwood prices have made long-term solar lease revenue an increasingly attractive option for private landowners weighing their choices.
The Road Ahead
Marion County commissioners opened formal public hearings in March 2026 to consider draft countywide tax abatement guidelines, laying the legal groundwork required before negotiating any Chapter 312 agreement, per CitizenPortal. Construction on Greenridge is expected to bring around 250 jobs to the county and last 12 to 15 months, Chron reported. Commissioners are expected to vote on the abatement request after the developer's open house sessions conclude.
