Starr County’s next solar farm moves forward as contractor ramps up hiring

A growing cluster of renewable energy projects is sprouting up across rural Starr County, a community home to many sprawling legacy ranches and thousands of historical oil and gas wells. 

Most of these projects work by leasing most of the land beneath them for decades, rather than buying it outright. 

That’s the case for Juno Beach, Florida-based utility NextEra Energy, which owns Florida Power and Light Company, according to Starr County deeds. The company went under contract to purchase about 17 acres, but it’s unclear what it will use the land for. 

Records show the project’s land deals date back to 2018. The Brock family, which owns more than 8,200 acres in Starr County, signed a deal over 43 years ago for the 4,100-acre project with Diamondback Solar. Much of the land value is currently exempt under state agricultural rules, which would likely be added back to the tax rolls as a solar farm.