Energy investment firm Panamint Capital has broken ground on the 1.2GWdc Big Rooter Power solar PV project at its Twin Oaks power station in Robertson County, Texas.
The US$1.7 billion project, located between Dallas and Houston, will be constructed on an existing coal mining site. According to the company, it will be “the largest solar project built at an existing coal mining site in North America”.
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
Construction has started on the first phase, Big Rooter West, a 491MWdc project scheduled to enter commercial operation in August 2028. The second phase, Big Rooter East, will add 658MWdc, with construction expected to begin in December 2026 ahead of commercial operation in August 2029.
“Big Rooter Power represents our vision for getting more out of America’s energy infrastructure and ensuring America’s energy dominance,” said Apolka Totth, Panamint’s CEO.
“When Big Rooter is complete, the Twin Oaks complex will have 1.5GW of operating thermal and renewable power, in addition to over 20 miles of new 345kV transmission, 1.6GWh of battery energy storage and 790MW of Batch Zero data center capacity under development across our 10,000-acre site.”
Panamint said the two phases will create more than 800 construction jobs.
For the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) scope, Panamint has selected SOLV Energy, which will deliver the solar array alongside substation and transmission infrastructure. In 2025, SOLV announced plans to build 6GW of solar-plus-storage capacity across the US, including projects for Panamint.
First Solar will supply approximately two million solar modules for the project, manufactured at its facilities in Ohio, Louisiana and Alabama. The project will also deploy Nextpower’s NX Horizon solar tracker systems, incorporating Hail Pro-75 and NX Navigator software.
Panamint Capital, a Nevada-based energy infrastructure developer majority owned by Global Atlantic Financial Group, manages more than 3GW of operating and development-stage conventional and renewable energy assets across North America.
