Apex Clean Energy has entered into a new power purchase agreement with Meta tied to the 144 MW Starling Solar project in Gonzales County, Texas, marking the seventh transaction between the companies and bringing their combined renewable energy portfolio to approximately 1,200 MW.
Under the agreement, Meta will receive exclusive rights to all environmental attributes associated with energy generated by Starling Solar, including the project’s renewable energy credits.
The project will add new solar generation to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, or ERCOT, grid. Apex said the facility would not have been built without Meta’s commitment, highlighting the role large corporate energy buyers can play in supporting development of new generation capacity.
Starling is expected to begin commercial operations in 2027.
The project extends a relationship between Apex and Meta that now spans nearly seven years and includes projects across Texas, Virginia, Illinois, Kansas and Iowa.
With Starling, the companies’ combined portfolio reaches approximately 1.2 GW of renewable energy capacity.
The latest agreement comes as technology companies and other large electricity users seek new power resources to support growing energy requirements, including demand associated with data centers and AI infrastructure.
Apex positions its development strategy around identifying, interconnecting and preparing utility-scale projects that can be built on timelines compatible with the needs of large electricity consumers.
Starling represents another example of that strategy, pairing a ready-to-build Texas solar development with Meta’s long-term clean energy requirements.
The project is also expected to generate significant economic benefits in Gonzales County.
Apex estimates Starling Solar will produce approximately $27 million in tax revenue over its operating life.
Of that amount, approximately $15.6 million is expected to support local schools.
The project is also projected to generate more than $26.3 million in payments to participating landowners, creating a long-term source of income for property owners hosting project infrastructure.
Construction is expected to create approximately 400 to 450 jobs.
Apex also expects Starling to provide nearly $400,000 in grant funding for local organizations and conservation initiatives.
Those local economic benefits are an important component of the development model for large renewable energy projects, particularly in rural communities where utility-scale facilities can create new tax revenue and landowner income without requiring the same level of municipal services associated with other forms of development.
For Meta, the Starling agreement adds another renewable energy project to a broader strategy of supporting new generation in regions where the company operates and consumes electricity.
Rather than simply purchasing existing renewable attributes, the agreement supports a new project that Apex said represents additional generation capacity for the Texas grid.
Texas has become one of the country’s largest markets for new solar, wind, battery storage and other energy infrastructure, supported by substantial electricity demand and a relatively fast-growing power market.
Increasing demand from data centers, manufacturing facilities and population growth has further elevated the importance of adding generation capacity to ERCOT.
The Starling agreement illustrates how corporate power commitments can provide developers with the commercial certainty required to finance and construct new projects.
For Apex, the transaction further expands a major customer relationship while demonstrating its ability to repeatedly develop projects for one of the world’s largest technology companies.
The approximately 1,200 MW portfolio developed through the seven Meta transactions also provides geographic diversification across five states.
Apex develops, constructs and operates utility-scale wind, solar and energy storage projects, along with distributed energy resources, across the United States.
The company uses a data-focused development approach to identify projects capable of meeting the power, timing and sustainability requirements of large customers.
Starling Solar will now move toward construction and its planned 2027 commercial operation date, adding 144 MW of new capacity to the Texas grid while extending one of Apex’s longest-running corporate renewable energy relationships.
KEY QUOTES:
“Seven projects over nearly as many years speaks to a partnership built on shared principles of responsible building and disciplined execution.”
“Starling brings new capacity to Texas and lasting value to Gonzales County long after construction wraps.”
Ken Young, CEO of Apex Clean Energy
“The best clean energy projects are the ones the surrounding community feels the benefit of directly—in school funding, in landowner payments, in local hiring.”
“Starling brings all of that to Gonzales County, along with new solar generation for a Texas grid.”
Amanda Yang, Head of Clean and Renewable Energy at Meta
