Enbridge has officially commissioned its first solar power project in Texas—Orange Grove Solar in Jim Wells County, about 45 miles west of Corpus Christi.
Some 300,000 panels built over 920 acres under the Texas sun are now churning out 130 megawatts (MW) of clean electricity to feed into the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT).
Orange Grove Solar represents a significant step forward in Enbridge’s all-of-the-above energy strategy, an approach based on our view that the world will need all forms of energy –conventional and renewable alike—if society is to ensure reliability and affordability as demand soars. It also represents the first solar project that we’ve led from initial development all the way through to full operation.
Ribbon-cutting celebration on June 4 in Texas, celebrating the commissioning of Enbridge’s Orange Grove Solar Project near Corpus Christi. Cutting the ribbon is Matthew Akman, Enbridge’s Executive Vice President of Corporate Strategy and President of our Power business.
“We are pleased to be able to deliver additional zero-emission electricity into the grid in support of local and Texas state-wide economic growth and energy demand,” Matthew Akman, Enbridge’s Executive Vice President of Corporate Strategy and President of our Power business, told landowners and project partners gathered at a June 4 luncheon to celebrate the solar farm’s startup.
“Enbridge is proud to operate a wide range of critical energy infrastructure across the Gulf Coast area, including liquids pipelines and export facilities, natural gas pipelines and storage, as well as wind and now solar power,” Akman said.
Construction of Orange Grove began in spring 2024, with the project creating about 400 jobs during its construction phase. Significantly, telecom giant AT&T has signed a long-term virtual power purchase agreement with Enbridge for the output. The agreement helps Dallas-based AT&T offset its energy expense and reduce its carbon footprint.
