Markum Solar Groundbreaking. Photo courtesy of: Scout Clean Energy
Scout Clean Energy and project stakeholders gathered at the company’s first-ever completed solar project, the 209 MWdirect current Markum Solar Farm in Bosque and McLennan counties, Texas, for a ribbon-cutting ceremony honoring the six years of hard work and collaboration that helped bring the project to commercial operation last week. Markum currently generates enough electricity for the ERCOT grid to power approximately 32,000 homes annually.
“We couldn’t be more proud to celebrate the commercial operation of our first-ever solar project with everyone who made it possible,” said Michael Rucker, founder and CEO of Scout Clean Energy. “Any grid-scale energy project is a massive, multi-year undertaking, and we are grateful to everyone who helped bring Markum to the finish line here in Texas.”
Scout purchased the project in 2021 from L-Bar-L Ranch, owned by the Linn family, who initially developed the project themselves and spoke at the event. In addition to successfully laying the foundation for the project’s future success, the Linn family used Markum as an opportunity to convert the ranch from an award-winning, grass-fed beef farm to a high-performing solar energy facility where they could raise their sheep use for vegetative management. . The Linn family gave attendees the opportunity at the ribbon cutting to meet some of the sheep that will graze on the property.
“The Linn family has been in agriculture for more than 120 years and looks forward to merging agriculture and green energy to continue traditional livestock farming for generations to come,” the Linn family said in a joint statement. “Lonestar Lambscaping, owned by the Linn family, is proud to bring our award-winning conservation traditions to the emerging agrivoltaic farming market.”
Scout worked with Mortenson on the construction of Markum, a 13-month project that began last year.
Also present and present at the event were members of the Colgate-Palmolive team, who last year signed an agreement to purchase all power generated by Markum.
News item from Scout Clean Energy