US renewables developer Longroad Energy has reached financial close for its 400MW 1000 Mile solar project in Texas.
Under a deal signed last year between Longroad and Meta, the technology giant will acquire the entire electricity output of the project, which is expected to begin commercial operations next year.
Try Premium for just $1
- Full premium access for the first month at only $1
- Converts to an annual rate after 30 days unless cancelled
- Cancel anytime during the trial period
Premium Benefits
- Expert industry analysis and interviews
- Digital access to PV Tech Power journal
- Exclusive event discounts
Or get the full Premium subscription right away
Or continue reading this article for free
“1000 Mile Solar is our seventh renewable energy project in Texas and a milestone project for Longroad,” said Longroad CEO Paul Gaynor, who noted that this is the company’s first project in the Southwest Power Pool (SPP) region, which covers much of the central US and parts of Texas.
All of the company’s five solar projects in Texas, including 1000 Mile, use modules made in the US by First Solar. The 1000 Mile project will use the manufacturer’s Series 7 modules, and builds on a number of module supply agreements between the firms dating back to 2017. Longroad is also working with a number of other US companies to deliver the project, including SOLV Energy, which will provide engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) work, and Nextracker, which will supply trackers to the project.
Longroad’s focus on US-made products and components comes in an environment of increasingly tightening rules regarding clean energy tax credits, which have had timelines shortened and eligibility restricted by the Trump administration. One of the stated aims of much of Trump’s protectionist policies has been to reduce reliance on overseas products, particularly from China, which dominates the global solar industry, so heavy reliance on US manufacturing at a US solar project is notable in this context.
Despite these challenges, tax credit support for solar projects has grown in the last 12 months. According to clean finance platform Crux, solar projects accounted for 34% of all tax credit deals signed in the first half of this year, up from 18% in the previous six months.
While the 1000 Mile project does not include a storage component, Longroad has sought to expand its storage portfolio in recent months. In December 2024, the company reached financial close for its Sun Pond project in Arizona, which combines 111MW of solar and 340MWh of batteries.
The company secured tax equity support from Morgan Stanley Renewables for the project.
PV Tech publisher Solar Media will host the 12th edition of the Solar & Storage Finance USA event on 21-22 October 2025 in New York. Panellists will discuss the fate of US solar and storage in a post-subsidy world, the evolving economics of standalone BESS and de-risking solar and storage supply chains. Book your tickets for the event on the official website.
