Frequently Asked Questions
Learn More About Fighting Jays Solar
General
Fighting Jays Solar is a 350 MW large-scale solar project planned on 3300 acres of land located in Fort Bend County approximately 70 kilometers from Houston’s downtown area.
The project is owned through a joint venture by Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners and AP Solar Holdings LLC and will be a state-of-the art project.
Fighting Jays began construction in February 2021 and became operational in July 2022 with final completion expected in Q4, 2024.
Fighting Jays has raised approximately $10,000 in fundraisers to help support the local community
10/15/2020 – Hot Meals Needville Senior Citizens – $550
11/25/2020 – Needville Thanksgiving Food Drive – $1200
12/22/2020 – Fort Bend Rainbow Toy Drive – 200 Toys
4/2/2021 – Needville Food Pantry – $1300
6/1/2021 – Warriors Refuge for Homeless Veterans – $1800
7/1/2021 – Flash fundraiser for Needy Elderly in Needville – $990
8/17/2021 – Needville Middle School Special Education Fundraiser – $2650
$2100 allocated for the construction of a sensory room for special needs students
$500 allocated for school supplies and filing cabinets for Damon Elementary
CIP is a proud supporter of the Needville Fire Department.
Energy Benefits
With an estimated 1,000 people moving to Texas every day, demand on the state’s energy grid has never been greater. In fact, electricity production in the state has grown by five percent over the past five years – even as nationwide production has fallen. Fortunately, Texas sits in a geographic and climatic sweet spot, which allows it to cheaply and efficiently harness energy from many different sources, including renewables, to help meet increased demands on electricity. As the largest energy-producing and consuming state in the nation, Texas has done an extraordinary job of adopting a multi-source generation approach to supply power to its rapidly expanding economy. Solar power is key to that approach.
As part of a larger energy diversification program, oil and gas companies are also investing heavily in solar projects. ExxonMobil, for example, plans to meet 70 percent of its Texas power demand with renewables through 12-year purchase agreements, including a purchase agreement with a 250 MW solar project coming online next year in the Permian Basin.
By diversifying its energy portfolio to include solar – one of the cleanest, most abundant, reliable and low-cost energy sources in the world – Texas is addressing the peak demand stress on the state’s power grid.
Economic Benefits
The Fighting Jays Solar Project will generate greater economic benefits to Fort Bend County, totaling close to $8 million during the construction period through goods and services purchased locally on top of what the traveling workforce contribute in terms of food and lodging. On top of that, over the course of the 35 years of operation, the project is estimated to contribute with $43 million of tax revenues.
In addition to the tax revenues, the County will benefit from the more than 300 jobs that will be created during the two-year construction period. This generates sales tax receipts on building materials, as well as indirect revenues derived for the hotel and food service industries. During operation, Fighting Jays Solar will sustain three full-time positions.
During the pandemic, more than 200,000 national employees in the solar industry – 10,000 in Texas alone – have been declared “essential critical infrastructure workers,” as they help ensure that America’s growing energy demands continue to be met. These jobs help to counteract so many others that have been lost during the pandemic.
Other
Once the solar plant is retired in approximately 35 years, the land can be converted back to agricultural use. In the meantime, no landowner has lost or will lose his traditional share of productive farmland acreage as a result of Fighting Jays Solar.
Because solar power is one of the lowest-cost forms of electricity to produce in Texas – a much lower cost compared to natural gas- and coal-fired power generation – and because our input resource is free and abundant (the sun!), AP Solar does not envision any scenario under which Fighting Jays Solar would go out of business at any point over its projected 35-year lifetime.
Insurance policies will be in place to cover catastrophic events.
Given the extreme timelines it typically takes for any given type of power generation technology to become obsolete – i.e., over many decades – it is unlikely that solar power would become obsolete during the projected 35-year project life. In the unlikely event that solar power becomes obsolete during the 35-year project life, then AP Solar would have the ability to re-power the existing solar field with the latest technology available, thereby increasing value to the property tax base as a result.
The lease requires the Project owner to return the land to the pre-construction condition. A closure bond will be established to facilitate reconstruction and site cleanup.
Fighting Jays Solar will sell its electricity output directly to the ERCOT grid and will receive fixed price payments for its electricity under a long-term contract with a creditworthy buyer, creating a long-term revenue stream for the Project and preserving the Project’s long-term economic viability.
