T1 Energy, an energy manufacturer on Monday revealed that it would develop an $850 million solar manufacturing factory in Rockdale, Texas. Rockdale is just about 60 miles east of Austin where it is headquartered. It seems as though Texas is becoming the solar energy capital of U.S.
T1 Energy solar factory will be built at the Advanced Manufacturing and Logistix Campus at Sandow Lakes. The 850 million solar plant by T1 will build up to 5 gigawatts (GW) of solar cells. This will create up to 1,800 jobs in the process. As per the energy solar factory T1 Energy’s new solar facility Texas will be one of the largest solar manufacturing facilities in the U.S. when completed.
T1 Energy 850M investment
T1 Chairman of the Board and CEO Daniel Barcelo said in a statement, “As we look forward to 2025 and beyond, we are excited about the growth prospects for the U.S. solar and battery storage market, and we are focused on establishing T1 as an engine of American energy, jobs, and advanced manufacturing.”
The new manufacturing facility in Texas is a new strategy by T1 to shift focus to solar energy. This plan to start the new solar manufacturing in Texas was launched in November 2024, alongside the initial announcement of creating the facility.
Solar plant by T1 in Rockdale, Texas
Previously Freyr Battery, and rebranded as T1 in February upon its move to Austin, Texas. The company was formed in 2018 and planned to construct a $2.6 billion facility in the Atlanta, Georgia, area. Freyr sold the property for $50 million, according to reports, before making the move to Texas. Around the same time, the company purchased a 5 GW solar factory in Wilmer, about 15 miles south of Dallas.
Texas solar manufacturing hub
Texas is becoming the solar energy capital of the U.S., among the nationwide leaders in generation of this renewable resource. Some power plants in the state are even getting incentives to make the switch to clean energy. But capacity isn’t the only way in which Texas is leading this sun-fueled charge: one manufacturer just announced it’s doubling down on its big Lone Star State bet. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the Lone Star State generated about 40 GWh of combined small-scale and utility-scale solar power in 2024, second only to California.
Texas has been heavily involved in T1 Energy’s shifting focus on the U.S. solar and battery storage sector. Now that the company has picked Rockdale for the plant, it is expected to be T1 Energy’s earnings and cash flow engine.
Meta coming to Texas
Meanwhile, a renewable energy company, the project, called Waterloo Solar, will supply 100% of its output to Meta under a newly-signed power purchase agreement. As per reports, the deal will support the company’s crowing operations in Texas, which include a data center currently under construction in Temple.
