Duke Energy Renewables has purchased the 200MW Rambler photovoltaic project in Texas from Canadian Solar subsidiary Recurrent Energy.
The solar plant is being constructed in Tom Green County, Texas and is expected to achieve commercial operation in mid-2020.
The energy generated by Rambler will be sold to a customer under a 15-year agreement.
The solar plant will use more than 733,000 of Canadian Solar’s high efficiency bi-facial modules.
Duke Energy Renewables will provide long-term operations and maintenance services to the facility.
Duke Energy Renewables president Rob Caldwell said: “We’re pleased to continue our expansion of solar energy resources in Texas, which is seeing increasing demand for power. “In addition to generating clean energy, this project will also bring significant economic benefits to the state.”
The project is expected to employ 400 workers at peak construction.
Along with indirect economic benefits that accompany solar project development – such as increased local spending in the service and construction industries – Rambler will also directly provide several million dollars to Tom Green County and to the local school district over the 40-year life of the project.
Canadian Solar chief executive Shawn Qu said: “With over one gigawatt of contracted projects in ERCOT’s service territory, we are proud that Recurrent Energy continues to lead solar energy development in Texas, one of the fastest growing US states for the solar industry.
“It has been our pleasure to rekindle our long relationship with Duke Energy Renewables’ talented team through this strategic transaction.”
The Rambler solar project, which is the fifth acquisition by Duke Energy Renewables this year, will be the company’s fourth solar generation facility in Texas.
Canadian Solar expects to receive the majority of the revenue from the sale of the project in the third quarter of 2019.
Since 2010, Duke Energy and Recurrent Energy have now partnered on six solar projects, including four equity transactions.