Weather 
The town of Buckholts, about 150 miles northwest of Houston and 70 miles north of Austin, is home to fewer than 400 people. But as of this week, it’s where a massive, 1.3-million-module solar energy complex will be powering Google data centers.
SB Energy Global announced Friday that its Orion I, Orion II and Orion III solar projects—together naturally dubbed the “Orion Solar Belt”—are ready for operation. The company celebrated the feat with a ribbon cutting attended by U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm, along with state and local officials.
“The Biden-Harris Administration envisioned an industrial strategy for clean energy that’s built and installed by American workers and powering American companies in proud American communities. This future is seen in action through the Orion Solar Belt in Texas,” Granholm said. “This project showcases how American made clean energy can power data centers and our future.”
The three Orion solar farms are built side by side and provide 875 megawatts of energy. According to data from the Solar Energy Industries Association, a project like this in Texas could power approximately 105,000 homes. Instead, the Orion Solar Belt will primarily power Google facilities, including data centers in Ellis County, south of Dallas; and cloud computing centers around Dallas. Per reporting by the Associated Press, bout 15 percent of the energy generated at the farms will go into the state grid, which is operated by the Energy Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT).
Why Google? The tech giant entered into a power purchase agreement (PPA) with SB Energy as part of a promise to invest more than $1 billion in the Lone Star State.
“Google’s data centers house some of the world’s most popular services and are a major economic engine for 21st century business. Our goal is to make sure that the services and products that people and customers use every day are powered by reliable carbon-free energy around-the-clock,” said Google Vice President of 24×7 & Capacity Ben Sloss. “We’re thrilled SB Energy’s Orion Solar Belt is coming online, helping build a stronger future for communities and Google in Texas.”
SB Energy estimates that the Orion Solar Belt will employ 3,000 workers and contribute $100 million to local services over its lifespan.
