Chem-Energy Corp. has unveiled plans to invest US$1.15 billion in Caldwell County, Texas, over nine years to build and maintain two power plants near the towns of Kyle and San Marcos that will combine solar generation and battery storage.
The first power plant will be built on 3518 acres (1424 ha) east of Kyle, with construction expected to begin in spring 2022 and operational in 2023. The second plant will be located east of San Marcos, with construction expected to start once the initial plant is finished.
“Caldwell County is the perfect strategic choice for our flagship operations in Texas,” said Robert Hayward, Chem-Energy’s chief operating officer. “With available land in a growing region, close proximity to Texas State University and a robust workforce pipeline, the Texas Innovation Corridor provides an ideal environment for our organization’s growth.”
According to Chem-Energy, the facilities will provide 600 MW/1200 MW-hours in battery storage and 1 GW of solar power generation over a decade. The plants will primarily serve the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), which manages the flow of electric power to more than 26 million Texas customers — representing about 90% of the state’s electric load. As the independent system operator for the region, ERCOT schedules power on an electric grid that connects more than 46,500 miles (74,834 km) of transmission lines and 710+ generation units.
