Texas utility CPS Energy has issued a request for proposals (RFP) to acquire 600MW of new solar capacity through power purchase agreements (PPA).
The utility provides power to the city of San Antonio, and bidders have until 8 January 2026 to submit proposals for the RFP. CPS Energy also expects to announce an RFP for battery energy storage systems (BESS) before the end of the year, to build on growing interest in battery projects in the San Antonio area; in October, Eolian and CPS Energy started work at a 50MW/100MWh BESS project in Bexar County.
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Should the latest solar PV RFP be filled completely, CPS Energy would exceed its 2030 solar deployment targets; the utility currently has 1GW of solar capacity in operation, and aims to have 1.18GW in operation by the end of the decade. The city of San Antonio also plans to reach climate neutrality by 2050, and has announced plans to “work with CPS Energy” to incentivise the adoption of distributed clean energy projects, such as community solar, in particular.
The commissioning of additional solar capacity will also increase the contribution of renewable energy to the utility’s energy mix, which had started to plateau in recent years. Between 2008 and 2013, renewable energy’s contribution to the CPS Energy mix increased from 7.4% to 12.1%; however, in the six years to 2021, the contribution of renewable energy only increased marginally, from 13.6% to 14%.
Cypress Creek begins construction on Hanson Solar project
Elsewhere in Texas, developer Cypress Creek Renewables has completed financing and started construction at the 505MW Hanson Solar plant in Coleman County. The developer will deliver power to the ERCOT grid and to technology giant Meta, under a PPA signed earlier this year, and expects to reach commercial operation at the project in mid-2027.
“The Hanson Solar project represents a compelling opportunity for long-term investment in the renewable energy sector, and SMBC is excited to support it,” said Paul Jun, group head of power and new energies North America at SMBC, a Japan-headquartered financier that provided debt financing for the project, alongside MUFG.
“Cypress Creek’s development platform and the financial fundamentals of this project make it well-positioned to contribute meaningfully to the clean energy economy.”
Construction work will be completed by The Industrial Company (TIC), a subsidiary of Nebraska-based Kiewit Corporation. Cypress Creek noted that around 300 jobs will be created during the construction process.
