Southern Company acquires 120MW First Solar project

March 8, 2016
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email
First Solar's Barilla project in Texas. Source: First Solar.

The Southern Company has acquired a 120MW project in Texas currently being built by First Solar.

The East Pecos Solar Facility is Southern subsidiary Southern Power’s second solar project in Texas. In December last year, the company took a controlling interest in the 157MW Roserock plant.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

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

Work began on the site in February and is expected to be complete in the last quarter of 2016. First Solar will operate the project, which will include single-axis trackers and an estimated 1.2 million First Solar thin-film modules.

“Southern Power's acquisition of the East Pecos Solar Facility underscores the company's commitment to strategically develop renewables across America,” said Thomas A. Fanning, chairman, president and CEO, Southern Company. “This project aligns with its conservative business model as Southern Power has built one of the nation's largest renewable energy portfolios,” he said.

The company added that its wholesale power strategy requires the projects it adds to be “substantially covered” by long-term contracts.

Austin Energy has signed a 15-year power purchase agreement that will also see it take ownership of the renewable energy credits generated by the project.

16 June 2026
Napa, USA
PV Tech has been running PV ModuleTech Conferences since 2017. PV ModuleTech USA, on 16-17 June 2026, will be our fifth PV ModulelTech conference dedicated to the U.S. utility scale solar sector. The event will gather the key stakeholders from solar developers, solar asset owners and investors, PV manufacturing, policy-making and and all interested downstream channels and third-party entities. The goal is simple: to map out the PV module supply channels to the U.S. out to 2027 and beyond.

Read Next

November 17, 2025
US solar module manufacturer First Solar will build a new production facility in the state of South Carolina, which will bring its US nameplate manufacturing capacity to 17.7GW by 2027.
November 14, 2025
Developer rPlus Energies has acquired two solar and storage projects with the total capacity of 900MW in Ada County, Idaho.
November 14, 2025
International solar manufacturer Canadian Solar has posted stable financials in Q3 2025, as its solar module and battery energy storage system (BESS) sales shift.
November 13, 2025
US solar hardware manufacturer Create Energy and Swiss cable producer Stäubli have announced a partnership to produce a new solar connector product.
Premium
November 13, 2025
Analysis: The opening of Corning's Michigan wafer plant puts it in a strong position to supply US-made, FEOC-compliant products, while competition from outside remains scarce.
November 13, 2025
US tracker manufacturer FTC Solar has entered into a purchase agreement to acquire the remaining 55% stake in steel manufacturer Alpha Steel.

Upcoming Events

Solar Media Events
November 25, 2025
Warsaw, Poland
Solar Media Events
December 2, 2025
Málaga, Spain
Solar Media Events
February 3, 2026
London, UK
Solar Media Events
March 24, 2026
Lisbon, Portugal
Solar Media Events
June 16, 2026
Napa, USA