Avantus (formerly 8minute) celebrated the groundbreaking and continued development of the Galloway 2 Solar Project in Concho County, Texas. Once completed, the project will serve as a dedicated 147 MWDC/110 MWAC resource for Texas’ energy grid, generating enough clean electricity to provide power for 60,000 Texans.
Credit: Avantus
Galloway 2 is creating over 250 peak construction jobs and will generate more than $18 million in local property taxes, supporting essential local services, like education, the county hospital and public safety. More than half of this funding will directly benefit the Paint Rock School District, which is located less than five miles from the project.
“Texas leads the nation in energy production, so it’s no surprise the Lone Star State is leading the charge in building out massive amounts of clean energy. Today, solar is not only one of the lowest cost forms of electricity generation, but also one of the fastest growing workforces in America. Here in Texas, we are creating lifelong careers in clean energy that can sustain generations to come,” said Tom Buttgenbach, founder and CEO of Avantus. “Avantus is committed to helping Texas reach its potential by bringing in more projects like Galloway 2 to provide low-cost, reliable energy, high-quality jobs and incredible benefits to local communities like Paint Rock and Concho County.”
Initial work began at the site in the summer of 2022 and is currently at peak construction. The project is expected to come online before the end of the year.
“Galloway 2 has been such a great addition to our local economy here in Paint Rock,” said Paint Rock Mayor Francis Maupin. “Our town is busier than ever, and the tax revenue will help create real benefits for our school and community for years to come.”
The majority of the project’s energy is committed to BASF Corporation, who is purchasing renewables to offset the energy demand at its Freeport, Texas site. The Galloway 2 project is owned by Allianz Capital Partners, with Avantus maintaining a minority stake in the project. RES is providing the engineering, procurement and construction services.
This is Avantus’ second utility-scale project development in the Paint Rock area, with many workers returning to support Galloway 2. The company has already brought 600 MWDC of solar energy online with more than 4 GW of solar and 12 GWh of energy storage under development across the state.
News item from Avantus