Big Rooter Power starts $1.7B energy project construction

ROBERTSON COUNTY, Texas - Construction began this summer on Big Rooter Power, a $1.7 billion solar and battery project alongside the Twin Oaks Power Plant, with its first section scheduled to go online in August 2028. The development promises additional electricity for Texas but has drawn scrutiny over tax concessions and its impact on neighboring homes.

Developer Panamint Capital describes the project as the largest solar development ever built at an existing coal plant in North America. Nearly 10,000 acres will accommodate a 1.2-gigawatt solar farm with 2 million panels, a 1.6-gigawatt-hour battery storage facility and more than 20 miles of transmission lines.

The western section is expected to begin operating in August 2028, followed by the eastern section the following year. When finished, the development will cover more than 13 times the area of the city of Franklin.

Expanding power generation at Twin Oaks

Panamint Capital says rising electricity demand in Texas is driving the project’s scale.

"You’re having like a major increase in demand with your load growth, and Texas is seeing that", said Julia Olguin, Panamint Capital Chief Operating Officer.

"It’s important that as developers that we’re out there building these solar generation facilities now in order for us to make sure that we keep the cost low", Olguin said.

The solar and battery facility is designed to send its output entirely into the ERCOT grid. Rather than immediately replacing Twin Oaks, the new generation will operate alongside the existing 310-megawatt coal plant.

Together, the coal plant and solar array will produce 1.5 gigawatts - enough to power at least 300,000 homes - with batteries storing power for use after sunset.

Olguin said using the existing plant and reclaimed mining land limits environmental disruption.

"We already have a plant that’s been here for years, we have a mine that’s been here for years, so the difference in our philosophy and our vision is that we’re not going out and cutting down trees and destroying land that’s not been repurposed, this is all reclaimed land", Olguin said.

The coal plant’s long-term future remains unresolved.

"I don’t have a direct answer for that because we are doing quite a bit of cost analysis right now and just kind of seeing where’s the best fit for us to move forward", Olguin said.

Panamint says it intends to retain existing workers.

"It is our goal to keep everybody employed and moving forward and having a future here", Olguin said.

Construction is expected to create 800 temporary jobs, but the completed solar facility will need a much smaller workforce. Tax abatement documents obtained by KBTX require only four full-time jobs, with no requirement that those employees live in Robertson County.

"It’ll be about 5 to 10 people to manage the facility", Olguin said. "They’re just really low maintenance."

Tax agreement draws scrutiny

Robertson County approved a 10-year, 100% property tax break under Chapter 312 for new equipment at the site. In return, Panamint agreed to annual payments in lieu of taxes, or PILOT payments.

County officials estimate ordinary property taxes would have generated between $25 million and $30 million during the 10-year period. The agreement instead guarantees just over $13 million.

At full operating capacity, the guaranteed payments could approach $17 million. An additional $2 million in land taxes would bring the total to $19 million, still a $6 million to $11 million discount compared with standard taxation.

County Judge Joe David Scarpinato said the development did not depend on receiving the agreement.

"They were coming no matter what we did, and that’s the reason why we didn’t get as many protections in place that we wanted... We got what we could get", Scarpinato said.

He said fixed payments offer budget predictability and avoid potential tax court disputes over appraisal values.

"For these purposes we are not using it for an incentive; we are using it for, kind of, control", Scarpinato said.

Scarpinato said Texas counties lack zoning authority, leaving the tax agreement as the county’s available regulatory tool.

"Counties don’t have any control to regulate; this is the only regulatory tool we have for these projects. I don’t think it’s fair... And you’ve got several counties banding together sending resolutions in to our legislature, senators, anybody, ERCOT, asking for more control", Scarpinato said.

He also said guaranteed cash payments protect county revenue as solar equipment depreciates and coal revenue declines. Besides the four-job requirement, the contract calls for basic road repairs and a $200,000 road deposit.

Panamint estimates Big Rooter West alone will generate 66 million dollars for Robertson County and local school districts over its full operating lifespan.

Neighbors face a changing landscape

For Shane Bonnin and his wife, the project threatens the rural setting that drew them to a 50-acre property off FM 46 about three years ago.

"We just fell in love with it; we fell in love with the people, the land... beautiful land", Bonnin said.

The couple intended to make the property their permanent home. Now, solar panels are planned behind it.

"It’s going to be right there, looking at us", Bonnin said. "It is a huge, huge project... and they are putting panels on every inch of land they can find."

Coal mining previously took place on the neighboring acreage, but operations moved away years ago and the land was reclaimed.

"And just when they were moving down, and we were getting some peace and fixing to plant the trees back, and the wildlife was really coming back strong... That’s when we found out", Bonnin said.

The Bonnins have put their home up for sale. Shane said buyers have withdrawn after learning about the solar development.

"Everybody drives by and loves the house, and they say, ‘We love what y’all have done out there, we love it,’ but now that this project’s coming in, they’re like, ‘We are so sorry, you’re not going to be able to sell that place, nobody is going to buy it,’ and that’s unless I come down a third of what it’s worth and we just can’t do that", Bonnin said.

Another neighboring home’s front door will be about 150 feet from the first row of panels.

"The dust is going to be so bad for them. I mean it’s just going to be horrible for them", Bonnin said.

Bonnin said county leaders failed to adequately explain where the development would be built.

"There was very little transparency at all", Bonnin said.

Panamint agreed to remove a nearby construction entrance and install vegetation buffers, but it did not agree to buy the Bonnins’ home. Bonnin said he worries that incentives will encourage more projects in rural Robertson County.

"People can do what they want on their land, but we don’t need to give them the incentives to come to do these types of projects because once you give one, it’s a floodgate. They all follow", Bonnin said.

Residents have also questioned the development’s effect on wildlife. Asked by KBTX about environmental impacts, Panamint said animals adapt to the equipment.

"You’re probably going to get a kick at how they like to relax underneath the solar panels", Olguin said.

County seeks stronger protections

The tax abatement contract contains no protections for people living near the development. Documents obtained by KBTX include a heavily redacted map of its reinvestment zones, obscuring the facilities’ exact locations.

Scarpinato acknowledged that the county approved the agreement without knowing the precise project boundaries.

"We don’t take that lightly, and we understand why they are upset", Scarpinato said.

The county now relies on company promises for landscaping and vegetation buffers. Scarpinato said accepting a verbal agreement was a mistake.

"That’s some of the things we couldn’t get up front with them... they were dead set on what they wanted to do. We’re gonna dig our feet in and get some protections for the neighboring properties", Scarpinato said. "They’ve been a good neighbor for 40 years... We were hoping they would step up and abide by what we asked... and we learned, no, you gotta get it in writing."

Although the county held the legally required public meetings, Scarpinato acknowledged it could have publicized them more widely.

"Everything that we needed to do was posted properly; it’s just... Maybe they wanted it posted on Facebook... I don’t know... But we are going to consider that as we move forward with any new projects... Getting the information out", Scarpinato said.

For future developments, he plans to require developers to hold town halls.

"Getting the developer to take the brunt of the heat because you know some of these projects aren’t popular and ... make them do their groundwork informing the public to help the county out", Scarpinato said.

Data center remains a possibility

The project includes infrastructure to support a potential data center, with 790 megawatts of capacity reserved for that use. Panamint says the proposal is not finalized.

"I don’t want to say, yes, we are doing a data center because I don’t know the answer to that yet", Olguin said. "It is part of our plan, and as we step through this process and as it gets closer, we would be more than happy to let the community know."

Studies are underway to determine how a data center could operate on or near the site. It could open within five years and would draw more than double the power currently produced by the Twin Oaks coal plant.

Scarpinato said Panamint did not disclose the data center plans during tax negotiations. The county is preparing for that possibility.

"That’s why we want to get in front of it... So we can do what we can do to protect the county", Scarpinato said.

"It is a benefit to the tax base... But at the same time... where are they going to put it, what is it going to be next to? And hopefully we got the team in place with the consultant we’ve hired, we’ve got attorneys on board... that give us those protections going forward", Scarpinato said.

As construction proceeds, Panamint says it will continue working with landowners on vegetation buffers, road adjustments and other project-related concerns.

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