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Project managers from Scout Clean Energy share their proposed “Moonstone Solar” project, estimated to be operational in 2029, with Wilson County commissioners March 23. RACHEL DRAPER/Wilson County News
[Video below] Another solar farm company has its sights on Wilson County.
Representatives from Scout Clean Energy, based in Boulder, Colo., gave a presentation March 23 on the company’s “Moonstone Solar” project to the Wilson County Commissioners Court.

Assistant Project Manager Kaszandra Walker-Daniels explained that the projected 145-megawatt Moonstone Solar will be located off of F.M. 1303 between Floresville and Calaveras, which is expected to power 30,000 homes.
“Right now, we have signed about 2,600 acres with private landowners,” Kaszandra said. “We plan to use about 1,100 to 1,200 acres for our project design.”
The company is targeting 2029 as a commercial operation date, when they plan to be plugged into the grid, according to the Scout Clean Energy representatives. Construction is estimated to begin in 2028.
“We have some preliminary work,” Walker- Daniels said. “We’re working with CPS Energy to start that process, and if all goes according to this schedule, construction on the switchyard that will connect us to the line will start in 2027.”
Commissioner John “Scott” Akin pointed out that the project map indicates “blanketing” F.M. 1303 and the company would need to facilitate road crossings.
Project Manager Alan Blaesser explained that there are five different crossings, one each on an existing Union Pacific Railroad easement, a pipeline, a utility line, a county road, and a Texas Department of Transportation road.
Commissioner Jeffery Pierdolla questioned whether the project would be solar panels or battery storage.
“Currently, we are proposing solar,” Blaesser said. “We are always looking at grid reliability for our projects — wind, solar, storage — across the U.S.
“Currently, batteries don’t make a lot of sense here,” Blaesser continued. “… so today, it’s solar and that’s what we plan to do. Proposed solar panels.”
The life of the project is anticipated to be about 30 years; then Scout Clean Energy will look at upgrading or decommissioning it, Walker- Daniels explained.
Commissioner Russell King asked what would happen with the solar panels and land, once the project is decommissioned.
“ … The industry itself has a large ability to recycle solar panels,” Blaesser said. “Every single contract that we have with private landowners would be replaced to similar conditions.”
The project’s representatives indicated to commissioners that they intend to apply for a Chapter 312 tax abatement.
Another solar project on the meeting’s agenda, for Clear Fork Creek near Stockdale, was granted an abatement last year by the county (see “Wilson County approves solar farm tax abatement,” July 16, 2025, Wilson County News).
Akin referenced a recent update in the county’s tax abatement policy (see “County approves tax abatement policy changes,” March 11, Wilson County News). He then asked the project managers if they had any plan to sell to CPS Energy or another entity in which Scout Clean Energy would no longer be the owner.
“As of now, we’re building this project to own and operate,” Blaesser said. “The project agreements that we sign today and what we’re doing to develop are sticking with the project; that is the plan.”
Wilson County resident Alena Berlanga, who is also a member of the Wilson County Resource Preservation Project (see story, page 1A), addressed commissioners during public comments on an agenda item of similar interest.
“One of the key questions for [Scout Clean Energy] — that was not asked — is if they plan, either directly or indirectly, to sell the power that they capture to a data center of any kind,” Berlanga said. “I went and spoke with them in the hallway, and they said they are ‘currently in the bidding process with CPS, and typically whoever they sell their power to is who makes the arrangement.’
“So in summary, that solar project will be a data center at some point,” Berlanga said.
Additionally, Berlanga told commissioners that after asking the Clear Fork Creek developer a similar data center-related question, they said “the utility scaled-solar generation facility has no current plans to include an onsite collocated data center.”
“We [the Wilson County Resource Preservation Project] want to protect our resources and farmland,” Berlanga continued, urging commissioners, “Deny a tax abatement from any solar project that comes our way.”
For more from the meeting, see “Meeting Watch,” page 6A.”
rdraper@mywcn.com

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