Massive solar farm in Brazoria County provides enough power for 70,000 Texas homes

ANGLETON, Texas (KTRK) -- A solar panel farm 40 miles south of Houston is generating enough power for 70,000 Texas homes.

The Myrtle solar farm located near Angleton in Brazoria County was completed in 2023 and spans 2,400 acres. That's roughly the size of 1,800 football fields.

Total Energies, a Paris-based oil company with offices in Houston, operates the solar farm. It features 705,000 photovoltaic cells

"Myrtle renewable power plant consists of two parts. One is a solar power plant of 380 megawatts that is generating enough clean and clear energy to power 70,000 homes," said Ahmed Sari, a construction manager who oversaw the Myrtle solar project.

Also on the property is a massive battery system that's able to store 225 megawatts of power which can be transferred to the Texas grid.

"Brazoria County has hosted this project and many other projects we have in the area," Sari said.

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With so many acres of solar panels on former pasturelands, how does Total keep the weeds down?

"We have sheep grazing under the solar panels in order to control vegetation in a very sustainable manner," Marie Maitre, Total's External Communications manager, said.

The sheep work as natural lawnmowers and are able to get underneath the panels, keeping the solar farm tidy without the need for gas-guzzling lawnmowers or pesticides.

Solar is becoming a more common generator of power globally. According to a report from the Solar Energy Industries Association, solar makes up nearly 7% of total US power generation. That's seven times more than a decade ago.

Currently, California is the top state for solar capacity. Texas is right behind it, followed by Florida.

Solar remains just one of the many ways we're powering our world.

"We are going to need all the energy types that we can have in order to meet the growing demand for energy of our growing world population," Maitre said.