Facebook invests $416m to build solar project in Texas

It is believed to be one of the largest solar projects in the nation and Facebook is building it in West Texas.

Renewable energy developer Longroad Energy recently announced it was partnering with the social media giant on the $416 million project. The company already has a 100-acre data center in  Fort Worth that is powered by wind energy CBSDFW.COM reports.

The Prospero Solar project in Andrews County, just north of Odessa, will have a capacity of 379 megawatts, which is enough to power around 72,000 homes based on the national average, the Solar Energy Industries Association said.

The 4,600-acre project goes beyond Facebook’s goal to use renewable energy to power its data centers, where the social media giant stores photos, videos and other information that people post on the platform.

Prospero Solar is expected to be completed next year and will take up around 7 square miles — more than five times the size of Central Park in New York City.

California-based Facebook will be the sole tax equity investor, Longroad said.

Ben Inskeep, a research analyst for EQ Research, a North Carolina-based renewable energy consulting firm, said it makes sense for Facebook to invest in solar power because renewable energy is becoming more affordable and its data centers have huge operating costs.

“West Texas has some of the best solar resources in the nation,” Inskeep said. “So it’s not about saying you support renewable energy. It makes good business sense.”

Shell Energy North America and Facebook will share the power generated by the solar farm.