The Port of Corpus Christi Commission has approved a lease agreement with Buckeye Partners that will establish the first solar farm in the 100-year history of the Port. The 81,000+ panel project will be located in San Patricio County on Port of Corpus Christi property near Midway Junction.
This partnership is the latest initiative undertaken by the Port of Corpus Christi in its drive to lead the global market into the energy renaissance, advocating for renewable energy as a legitimate and sustainable commodity.
The lease agreement, approved by Port of Corpus Christi Commissioners on August 16, provides Buckeye with a two-year development term to evaluate the feasibility of constructing the solar farm project on 136.69 acres of Port-owned property. North of the proposed lease premises are 112 acres, owned by Buckeye, yielding a combined acreage of 248 acres available to construct the farm, which will have the capacity to produce 88,000 MWh of electricity per year.
Sean Strawbridge, chief executive officer for the Port of Corpus Christo, said: “This is an exciting day for the Port of Corpus Christi as this lease agreement reinforces our commitment not only to embrace renewable energy developments, which we have long made a priority, but to solidify the port as a thought leader in the global energy marketplace, with the support of our partners at Buckeye.
“True innovation integrates collaboration and trust, and we are excited and appreciative of our partnership with Buckeye in this new solar farm endeavor, which marks the expansion into a new chapter for the Port of Corpus Christi and our history.”
As the nation’s leading export gateway for US-produced energy, the Port of Corpus Christi continues to position itself as a leader in the energy transition by encouraging and helping its users to accomplish their own climate action goals. In March 2022, the Port of Corpus Christi adopted an updated environmental policy to further clarify goals and set timeframes to achieve them over the next few years.
Todd Russo, chief executive officer for Buckeye Partners, said: “This new agreement deepens and further expands our longstanding partnership with the Port of Corpus Christi.
“Buckeye is privileged to invest and work across South Texas, and we’re excited to help grow the region’s economy while diversifying our energy and lower-carbon solutions.”
Commercial operations of the solar farm are tentatively scheduled to begin in Q4 2025.
Charles W Zahn Jr, the Port of Corpus Christi commission chairman, said: “This agreement with Buckeye is an exciting new venture in the Port of Corpus Christi’s 100-year history.
“While we remain fully committed to traditional forms of energy – which will continue to power our world for decades to come – new initiatives like this can complement them by offering renewable energy for production and other operations.”
For more information visit portofcc.com
