Menard County, Texas: solar, wind, and storage projects and permits
Queue data as of ERCOT's September 2026 GIS report · Contacts checked 2026-09-26 · Next update early next month
2 proposed energy projects from ERCOT's September 2026 report, plus who to call in Menard County and in TCEQ Region 8 before signing a solar, wind, or battery storage lease.
Check land in Menard CountyOpens the land report with the map on the county; click a spot for its flood, wetland, habitat, line-distance and parcel check.
Power reliability here: minutes without power per year, outages per year, and outage length for Menard County, 2013–2024, from the serving utilities' EIA filings.
What energy projects are proposed in Menard County?
ERCOT's September 2026 interconnection report lists 2 proposed energy projects in Menard County (1 solar and 1 battery storage), about 295 MW in all. 1 of the 2 has a signed interconnection agreement.
What stands out in Menard County
By capacity, battery storage leads in Menard County with 204 MW across 1 project, followed by solar (1 project, 91 MW). The largest single project is Black & Gold Energy Storage, a 204 MW stand-alone battery storage project listed under Black & Gold Energy Storage, LLC, with its agreement signed and security posted, and its target online date is Jul 2027. Of the 2, 1 is still in ERCOT's study process and 1 has posted security or started construction. Connection points are mostly at 138 kV (1 project) and 69 kV (1 project) (why the voltage matters). Target online dates for the projects not yet running span Jul 2027 to Dec 2029. All of them fall in ERCOT's West load zone.
A listing is a request to study a grid connection, not a built project; the stage column says how far each one has gone.
Stage, most advanced first: Approved for synchronization (first power) · Approved for energization (backfeed) · Under construction · Signed; security posted (interconnection agreement signed and financial security posted) · Signed (agreement signed, security not yet posted) · In study (screening or full interconnection study, no agreement). A target date that has already passed is marked; ERCOT keeps the developer's last reported date until the developer changes it.
Scroll the table sideways to see every column.
| Project and connection point | Developer as listed by ERCOT | Type | MW | Target online date iThe commercial operation date the developer reported to ERCOT (ERCOT calls it the projected COD). Developers set and change it, many projects slip, and some are never built. It is not a promise or a construction date. | Stage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black & Gold Energy Storage6364 Yellow Jacket Sub 138kV | Black & Gold Energy Storage, LLC | Battery storage (stand-alone) | 203.8 | Jul 2027 | Signed; security posted |
| Callan SolarTap 69kV 60386 Heartland to 6363 Yellow Jacket | Menard PV, LLC | Solar | 91.0 | Dec 2029 | In study |
What the stages and dates mean: how to read ERCOT's report. ERCOT's report lists self-limiting facilities (batteries that limit injection below nameplate) at 0 MW; repowers of existing plants show 0 with no capacity change. "Approved for energization" and "approved for synchronization" are ERCOT's own milestones (backfeed, then first power). "Shared with N other requests" counts active requests anywhere in ERCOT naming the same point of interconnection, matched on ERCOT's exact wording, so a bus written two ways counts as two points. Source: ERCOT Generator Interconnection Status (GIS) Report, September 2026, planning data entered by developers and transmission providers that ERCOT says may contain errors. Parcel & Grid is not affiliated with ERCOT.
Who to contact in Menard County
- Menard County appraisal district and tax office: parcel records and agricultural valuation, which a lease can end (directory, Texas Comptroller · rollback taxes).
- TCEQ Region 8, San Angelo: 622 S Oakes, Ste K, San Angelo TX 76903-7035, 325-655-9479; spills, 24 hours: 800-832-8224. Handles the construction stormwater permit for sites of 1 acre or more (TCEQ).
- Menard County judge and commissioners court: road use agreements, tax agreements, and floodplain development permits where the county takes part in the flood insurance program.
- Flood maps: FEMA map search for Menard County.
Permits and reviews for Menard County
Texas has no state siting permit for solar or wind, and Texas counties generally have no zoning authority, so a project in Menard County is shaped by site control, the county road use agreement, tax agreements, and the grid connection (what still applies · the twelve approvals, stage by stage). Wetland, endangered species, historic, and FAA reviews depend on the site: statewide and federal contacts · decommissioning law.
How a project in Menard County connects to the grid
Menard County is on the ERCOT grid. The projects listed above are in ERCOT's West load zone. The serving utility handles the connection request. Interconnection by market and utility · what ERCOT is.
How long it takes. ERCOT staff put the connection process at 18 to 30 months for generation of 10 MW or more, before construction or supply delays (ERCOT, Oct. 2024). Across the U.S., the median project built in 2025 took 61 months from interconnection request to commercial operation (Berkeley Lab, Queued Up 2026), so a lease signed today usually means construction years out: timelines by market.
Solar for homes and businesses in Menard County
Texas rules for rooftop and on-site systems are the same in every county; your electric utility sets the application steps: Texas home and business solar rules · your utility's application links.
Get the land report for a spot in Menard County
Get a free land report for any point: flood zone, wetlands, nearest power line, soils, and parcel acreage.
Other counties served by TCEQ Region 8
Coke · Concho · Crockett · Irion · Kimble · Mason · McCulloch · Reagan · Schleicher · Sterling · Sutton · Tom Green