Fannin County, Texas -- North Texas residents were invited to an open house held Thursday, January 24, 2019 hosted by Pattern Development to learn more about one of the most interesting developments in Fannin County -- solar farms.

The open house for the Phoenix project, located five miles south of Bonham, Texas, would seem to be a perfect example of the potential of the solar industry. This low-profile, silent producer of renewable energy will consist of a solar array on 590 acres, capable of producing 82.5 megawatts. For those of us who struggle to wrap our minds around the quantification of megawatts, think of it this way: this one solar farm is designed to meet the energy needs of 17,500 homes, which could be close to the total number of homes in all of Fannin County.

Built entirely with private capital, this solar farm is located near existing high-voltage transmission lines and will inject clean energy into the ERCOT (Electric Reliability Council of Texas)during peak electric use hours.

Pattern Development’s construction team attended the open house to discuss environmental permitting, engineering and construction, technology, mapping and landowner outreach, workforce needs and construction staffing, as well as general project development.

As with any industry, land reclamation should be an important consideration. The Phoenix project comes with a built-in agreement to either renegotiate the agreement or return the land to its original condition at the end of a 35-year lease. Between 1-3 full-time employees will be needed once the solar farm is operational.

In addition to lease payments to Fannin County residents and property owners, over the course of the 35-year contract, Phoenix Solar is forecast to contribute $12 million in property tax payments to Bonham ISD and $3 million in property tax revenue to Fannin County.

Construction is expected to begin in early summer 2019, with a goal of injecting electricity into the grid by the end of June 2020. 

This project calls for 150-200 construction jobs over the 12-month period, including heavy equipment operators, electricians and laborers.

Operations will be led by Pattern Development, an experienced EPC (Engineering, Procurement, Construction) company.

For more information, contact PhoenixSolar@patternenergy.com or call 903-326-8549.