By Susan Lindsey
Staff Reporter
Two solar energy producers discussed solar farm projects coming to Bowie County during today’s regular meeting of the Bowie County Commissioners Court.
TotalEnergies and RWE are in contracts with landowners to bring solar farms near New Boston and DeKalb, respectively.
Both companies are global producers of energy. RWE is the third largest producer of renewable energy in the United States. TotalEnergies produce and market oil and biofuels, natural and green gases, renewable energies and electricity.
RWE has secured a tax-abatement contract with the county to begin work on their project, Rabbit’s Foot Solar, an 1,800 solar farm on County Road 4306 near DeKalb.
Construction is set to begin in the first quarter of 2026 and will take approximately 20 months to complete.
Before construction begins, Michael Sivore, senior director with RWE, said they will begin work on the county road to make it more stable for the equipment that will be coming in to build the infrastructure in the solar farm.
“I get more phone calls a month from the people that live on County Road 4306. Every time it rains, the road washes out … But this contract here is going to allow the people that live on that road to get a part of it redone,” said Mike Carter, precinct 4 commissioner.
Logan Lindsey with Total presented their plan to build Red Barn Solar north of New Boston near the Red River. They have secured a 7,000 acre plot of land through lease of local landowners.
Their project is in the early stages and still has to go to the Court for tax-abatements.
They plan to begin construction in the third quarter of 2027 with a completion in late 2028.
Representatives for both companies say the solar farms will produce electricity that will be placed in the grid for sale by local energy companies. They add that the farms will not produce noise pollution to residents in the areas.
Construction for the two projects is expected to bring several hundred temporary jobs to the area as well as a handful of permanent jobs and contracts for services.
