NextEra Energy’s 250 MW project that just broke ground is among a growing number of solar projects in a state that gets 0.55% of its electricity from solar energy.
The largest clean energy developer in the country and the largest food distributor on the Fortune 500 broke ground on a 250 MW solar project in Oklahoma.
NextEra Energy signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) with food distributor Sysco for the 250 MW generated from the project. Sysco said the power generated from the project will equal 75% of Sysco’s national power usage, including 100% of Sysco Oklahoma’s total electric load.
“This project ticks several of our goals by decreasing our emissions each year by 16%, while also creating additional jobs and increasing tax revenue for a community we serve,” said Sysco Chief Merchandising Officer and Senior Vice President Victoria Gutierrez.
Sysco’s climate goal includes sourcing 100% of its electricity from renewable energy by 2030. In 2023, Sysco began a North American partnership to support the company in developing, implementing and financing a suite of renewable power solutions. Last year, the company signed a PPA to provide Sysco with approximately 294,000 MWh of renewable energy per year, according to the company’s 2024 sustainability report.
NextEra estimated the project will generate about $32 million in tax revenue over the project’s 30-year lifespan. During its construction, the project will create about 300 jobs.
Sysco said it expects the project to be operational by the end of 2026.
NextEra previously tried to tap Oklahoma’s sun with a 250 MW solar project, paired with a 252 MW 4-hour battery energy storage system. NextEra announced the Skeleton Creek project in 2019 and originally expected to begin operations by the end of 2023. However, local opposition led to several delays and permit denials, according to Enid News & Eagle. With public opposition ongoing, NextEra said it expects Skeleton Creek to begin operations at the end of 2025.
Oklahoma, which ranked 41st in the country for solar capacity, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association, is adding significant growth to a state that gets 0.55% of its electricity from solar. Once operational, Rumble Solar, combined with a separate 100 MW project that went online last month, will nearly double the 368 MW of solar capacity that was installed at the end of last year.
Other projects are adding to Oklahoma’s upcoming solar growth. In January, Leeward Renewable Energy announced five solar projects in Oklahoma totaling over 700 MW, which will provide energy to Google through PPAs.
According to solar intelligence firm, PV Intel, Oklahoma was one of fifteen states in which solar capacity grew by more than 50% in 2024.
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