Construction has commenced on the Big Rooter Power project in Bremond, Texas, a massive $1.7 billion solar and battery storage installation. Developed by Nevada-based Panamint Capital, the 1.2-gigawatt facility is set to become one of the largest solar arrays in North America and the biggest ever built on a brownfield site. Uniquely, the project is being developed alongside the active Twin Oaks coal-fired power plant and the Calvert surface coal mine. By leveraging existing energy infrastructure, the developer aims to boost regional power capacity while maintaining fossil-fuel operations to ensure grid reliability.
The project will be completed in two phases, with the initial 491-megawatt section expected to come online in August 2028, followed by the remaining 658 megawatts in August 2029. The 10,000-acre site will feature 1.6 gigawatt-hours of battery storage and 20 miles of new extra-high-voltage transmission lines. Panamint Capital, which acquired the coal assets in 2023, intends to use the site’s existing characteristics to expand generation efficiently. The company also maintains the potential to develop at least 800 megawatts of gas-fired generation to meet the rising energy demands of data centers and local manufacturing.
While the project represents a significant shift toward renewable energy, Panamint has no immediate plans to retire the adjacent coal plant. Instead, the company views the solar array as a way to offset the facility’s annual carbon emissions. This “all-of-the-above” energy strategy highlights the complex transition currently underway in Texas, where solar power is increasingly relied upon to meet peak demand caused by extreme weather and industrial growth. Despite recent federal policy shifts and the repeal of various clean energy tax incentives, Panamint secured necessary funding and equipment early, allowing the project to proceed as a landmark brownfield redevelopment.