Stories

Wed, 23 Sep 2026

Wed, 23 Sep 2026 How the oil capital of the US welcomed a solar power boom

Texas is now the country's biggest producer of solar-farmed electricity.

* His family has farmed in southwest Texas since 1953, but he was struggling to find a successor for the business
* A hailstorm destroyed his crops in 2018, and he was considering retirement due to lack of interest from his children
* Leasing his land to OCI Energy's solar farm brought stability to his finances and allowed him to concentrate on his remaining farmland
* Texas has become the largest producer of electricity from solar farms in the US, with many residents leasing their land for solar panels
* However, some residents are concerned about the visual impact, water runoff, and battery storage units associated with solar farms
* A county-level moratorium on new solar construction was implemented due to local concerns, but it was later rescinded under legal pressure from developers