50,000 acre solar project in Stonewall County aims to boost power grid and local economy

STONEWALL COUNTY, Texas — Last week, Stonewall County commissioners approved a ten-year-long tax abatement with Swenson Solar, which will allow the company to install solar panels in western Stonewall County.

Stonewall County Judge Ronnie Moorhead said that not only could the project lower property taxes for residents, but it would also provide employment opportunities during the project’s construction and after its launch.

“During the construction phase, they’re looking at possibly as many as 300 construction workers out there,” said Judge Moorhead, “When the project is completed and goes online, they think they’ll be somewhere in the neighborhood of 30-40 full-time jobs here in the county.”

Power from the new solar panels will go into the power grid, tying into the main line near Jones County. Judge Moorhead said the additional power is much needed.

“As you know, we’ve suffered some kind of brown-outs around the state, and extreme hot weather and extreme cold weather,” said Judge Moorhead, “This will just add a little more electricity into the system, so maybe we can start avoiding those types of occurrences.”

This has the potential to be one of the biggest solar projects in Texas at 50,000 acres. However, Judge Moorhead says that other projects on the property could come later.

“Maybe looking down the road at some data processing centers, battery storage facilities, which will all again contribute to the tax base of the county and also create employment opportunities for our local residents,” said Judge Moorhead,” Going forward, we’re hopeful that once this project is in, then we can see other projects coming online to support that one.”

Swenson hopes to begin construction on the project by late 2025 or early 2026, getting the panels online by 2027.