Panamint Capital has broken ground on what it says will be the largest solar project ever constructed at an existing coal mining site in North America, launching a USD 1.7 billion development in Robertson County, Texas, that will reshape a historic energy site into a multifaceted power and digital infrastructure hub.

A Former Coal Site Becomes a Renewable Showcase

The project, called Big Rooter Power, is located at Panamint's Twin Oaks power station near Bremond, Texas, situated roughly halfway between Dallas and Houston.

At 1.2 gigawatts DC in total capacity, it marks one of the most significant utility-scale solar investments announced in the state and carries particular symbolic weight given its location on a site historically associated with coal mining.

Panamint Chief Executive Officer Apolka Totth framed the project in terms of extending the productive life of existing energy infrastructure rather than abandoning it.

"Big Rooter Power represents our vision for getting more out of America's energy infrastructure and ensuring America's energy dominance," she said in a statement accompanying the groundbreaking announcement on July 23, 2026.

When fully operational, Totth said the broader Twin Oaks complex will include 1.5 gigawatts of combined thermal and renewable power capacity, more than 20 miles of new 345 kilovolt transmission infrastructure, 1.6 gigawatt-hours of battery energy storage, and 790 megawatts of what the company calls Batch Zero data center capacity under development across its 10,000-acre site.

Two-Phase Construction Timeline

Big Rooter Power is being developed in two distinct phases. The first, Big Rooter West, is a 491 megawatt DC installation for which construction is now underway.

That phase is expected to reach commercial operation in August 2028. The second phase, Big Rooter East, carries a capacity of 658 megawatts DC and is scheduled to begin construction in December 2026, with commercial operation targeted for August 2029.

Together, the two phases are expected to create more than 800 construction jobs. Panamint has emphasized a commitment to local hiring and regional vendor selection for the project.

The company said Big Rooter West alone is expected to contribute more than USD 66 million to the local economy over its operational lifetime, continuing what it described as Twin Oaks's 30-year legacy of economic contribution to the surrounding community.

Major Industry Partners Attached to the Project

To execute the project, Panamint has assembled a group of large-scale U.S. renewable energy companies covering construction, equipment manufacturing, and technology deployment.

SOLV Energy, which trades on Nasdaq under the ticker MWH and describes itself as a leading provider of utility-scale energy infrastructure solutions, has been selected to provide engineering, procurement, and construction services.

Those services will encompass solar installation as well as substation and transmission infrastructure. George Hershman, SOLV Energy's chief executive, called Big Rooter a landmark project and said his company's focus extended from project delivery through long-term asset performance.

First Solar, listed on Nasdaq under the ticker FSLR, will manufacture approximately two million solar panels for both phases of the project. Those panels will be produced at First Solar facilities in Ohio, Louisiana, and Alabama, underscoring the project's domestic manufacturing footprint. In total, the project will use more than 34,000 tons of domestically manufactured steel.

Nextpower, listed on Nasdaq under the ticker NXT, will supply its NX Horizon solar tracker systems along with Hail Pro-75 hail protection technology and NX Navigator software.

The company says those systems are designed to improve performance and reliability across varying weather conditions, a relevant consideration for a large outdoor installation in central Texas.

Domestic Manufacturing and Long-Term Power Sales

Panamint's Managing Director of Development, identified in the announcement only as Mr. Stanton, highlighted the project's reliance on American-made components and American labor.

He also confirmed that a long-term power purchase agreement is in place with what he described as one of the country's largest companies, though the counterparty was not named. That agreement, he said, will ensure the electricity generated at Big Rooter powers job creation in the American economy into the 2050s.

The power purchase agreement provides revenue certainty for a project of this scale and duration, anchoring the financial case for the $1.7 billion investment across its multi-decade operational life.

About Panamint Capital

Panamint Capital is a woman-led energy investment firm headquartered in Incline Village, Nevada. The company is minority-owned by Global Atlantic Financial Group, itself a wholly owned subsidiary of KKR.

Panamint currently manages more than 3 gigawatts of operating and development-stage conventional and renewable energy assets across North America, with a stated focus on redeveloping legacy energy assets into next-generation infrastructure.

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