Already the nation’s largest municipally owned user of wind energy, San Antonio’s CPS Energy last week signaled its intent to build what would be the largest solar installation in the U.S., if not the world, notifying bidders that an originally proposed 50-megawatt project has been expanded to potentially 400-megawatts.
The project would be four times larger than what is currently the largest solar installation in the world, a 97-megawatt project in Ontario, Canada.
The new project would join CPS Energy’s existing “Blue Wing” Solar Farm, a 14-megawatt installation that is currently the largest solar project in Texas.
The dropping price of solar photovoltaic components makes the expansion an attractive investment for San Antonio, which offers energy rates that are among the lowest in the nation.
Bids for the project are required to include a positive economic impact for San Antonio, providing jobs in areas that are likely to include solar manufacturing or assembly.
