The sharp U-turn in federal energy policy has been devastating for the US wind industry, but the solar industry is rushing to fill the gap. In the latest news, the supersized, 600-megawatt Hornet solar power plant in Texas is about to get a new 201-megawatt neighbor, situated adjacent to it in the up-and-coming renewable energy hotspot of Swisher County. Wait, what’s so special about Swisher County? What’s So Special About Swisher County, Texas? Swisher County’s renewable energy journey is beginning to stand out in a state famous for its wind and solar resources. Despite the red-state rhetoric circulating among many of its lawmakers, Texas has a firm grip on renewable energy leadership in the US. The state emerged as the #1 producer of wind power in the early 2000’s after the construction of a new transmission line that links the windy west to population centers in the east. More recently, Texas has been running neck-and-neck with California for the #1 slot in solar power. All that activity has been a lifeline for Texas counties in search of new revenue, and that includes Swisher. In a state awash in income from oil and gas operations, Swisher has none. A few dozen inactive wells sit idle and that’s all, which helps explain why policymakers in the county are chasing after renewables. The land is also generally flat and the community has been described as supportive, helping to make the environment attractive to solar developers. More Solar Power For Swisher County Swisher made a renewable energy name for itself just last year, when the 600-megawatt Hornet solar power plant cranked up as one of the largest single-phase projects of its kind in the US. The project added more than $5 million in new tax revenue to Swisher County during its first year in operation, towards a total of $100 million to be fulfilled over the next 40 years. The developer, Vesper Energy, broke down the first-year revenue numbers in an email to CleanTechnica last month: — Over $2.6 million to the Tulia Independent School District — Over $1.3 million through the Swisher County Tax Assessor — Over $600,000 to Swisher County through a Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) agreement — Over $300,000 to the Swisher County Memorial Hospital District “Vesper Energy has also contributed over $31,000 to local nonprofits, community programs, and first responders,” Vesper also noted. One highlight of the giving program was a a $4,000 donation to the Tulia Volunteer Fire Department. The funds enabled the volunteers to buy a trailer to go with their side-by-side vehicle, enabling them to haul themselves and their equipment to remote spots for emergency operations. Vesper is now returning to the county with the forthcoming 201-megawatt Nazareth array, situated on 2,400 acres of private property adjacent to Hornet. The project is backed by a cool $236 million in financing, consisting of a construction-to-term loan and a letter of credit facility from a bank group including the global-facing Japanese financial powerhouse MUFG (short for Mitsubishi UFJ Group) and the Development Bank of Japan. The Chicago-based firm GCM Grosvenor also added its seal of approval to the transaction. Keep an eye on those quarters for further activity in the renewable energy field. The firm describes itself as “a global alternative asset management solutions provider with approximately $87 billion in assets under management across private equity, infrastructure, real estate, credit, and absolute return investment strategies.” For the record, GCM also earned the #1 rank in the lineup of “Best Places to Work in Money Management,” in the Major Employers category, published by Pensions & Investments in December of 2025. GCM notes that the achievement marks its 5th recognition by Pensions & Investments. The Sheep Factor Vesper Energy is also notable for its pursuit of agrivoltaic solutions for solar arrays alongside the revenue benefits for host counties. Hornet, for example, has already become a showcase for solar grazing, featuring more than 2,000 sheep and 11 sheep dogs among the solar panels. Solar grazing is a recent development in the solar industry, and it is catching on quickly. The sheep help reduce maintenance costs by controlling vegetation while cutting the use of diesel fuel to the bone. The practice also contributes to the local economy by opening up more grazing opportunities for new and existing sheep farmers. “Land access has become a major problem for farming families and young ranchers trying to get started in agriculture,” notes the organization Texas Solar Shepherds. “Solar grazing offers an incredible opportunity for ranchers to access the farmable acres they need. Across the state, big solar sites are becoming ranch land for farmers to raise sheep and build a thriving business, all while preserving land stewardship and their farming heritage,” the organization emphasizes. TSS counts more than 70,000 acres of solar power under sheep management in Texas alone, with plenty more where that came from. “That opportunity is only growing, with more acres of solar that can be grazed and more sheep ranchers looking to take advantage of this home run opportunity,” TSS enthuses. Solar Power And Cattle, Too If you’re wondering why not cattle, that’s a good question. Up until recently, cattle were considered a less than ideal fit for solar grazing due to their large size and the risk of damaging the equipment. More recently, solar stakeholders have demonstrated that racking systems can be optimized for solar grazing with cattle, opening up new avenues for cattle ranchers. Additional grazing opportunities should come as good news for fans of the domestic beef industry. Despite population growth in the US, the nation’s fleet of cattle has been shrinking steadily for years, suffering an additional loss of 300,000 head between January 1 of 2025 and this past January 1. That still leaves 86.2 million head hanging around to provide this year’s beef and procreate for the future, though cattle experts advise that the breeding cycle won’t yield an uptick in the numbers until 2028. Industry consolidation is among other factors tugging at herd size. Regardless of the situation in the US cattle industry, solar power plants provide a unique opportunity to combine clean power with food systems, especially considering the rising loss of farmland from other forms of rural development including low density housing, garden variety urban sprawl, data centers, e-commerce warehouses and the like. If you have any thoughts about that, drop a note in the discussion thread. Photo: The massive Hornet solar power plant hosts sheep and sheepdogs, and it is getting a new 201-megawatt companion array on adjacent land (courtesy of Vesper Energy via email/dropbox). If you have any thoughts about that, drop a note in the discussion thread.
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