First Solar announced that the company has begun construction on Phase I of the Barilla Solar Project in Pecos County, Texas, west of Fort Stockton. The 22 megawatt (MW) AC project is expected to begin commercial operation in         mid-2014.

First Solar announced  that the company has begun construction on Phase I of the Barilla Solar Project in Pecos County, Texas, west of Fort Stockton. The 22 megawatt (MW) AC project is expected to begin commercial operation in mid-2014.

First Solar will build, commission, and operate the power plant and offer the output to customers including municipal utilities, electric cooperatives, and larger commercial and industrial users. The project, located in West Texas, will have access to one of the best solar resource areas in the state and can provide electricity to more heavily populated areas with greater peak energy demand.

The project will contribute to Texas’ immediate energy needs and demonstrate how solar power can provide a generating resource that can be effectively integrated into the ERCOT grid and help meet Texas’ energy demand, particularly during critical peak hours.

An additional benefit is that solar power plants require no water to generate electricity. This is important in West Texas, where scarce water resources must be preserved.

Eventually, according to Rebhorn, First Solar would consider selling the Barilla Solar Project to a long-term owner.