Willacy 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
3 proposed energy projects from ERCOT's September 2026 report, plus who to call in Willacy County and in TCEQ Region 15 before signing a solar, wind, or battery storage lease.
Check land in Willacy 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 Willacy County, 2013–2024, from the serving utilities' EIA filings.
What energy projects are proposed in Willacy County?
ERCOT's September 2026 interconnection report lists 3 proposed energy projects in Willacy County (2 wind and 1 battery storage), about 602 MW in all. 2 of the 3 have a signed interconnection agreement, and 1 has been approved for energization or synchronization. The table also lists 1 change to existing plants (repowers or capacity changes), not counted above.
What stands out in Willacy County
By capacity, wind leads in Willacy County with 501 MW across 2 projects, followed by battery storage (1 project, 101 MW). The largest single project is El Sauz Ranch, a 302 MW wind project listed under El Sauz Ranch Wind, LLC, approved for synchronization, and its target online date is Dec 2026. Of the 3, 1 is still in ERCOT's study process, 1 has posted security or started construction and 1 is approved for energization or synchronization. Connection points are mostly at 345 kV (2 projects) and 138 kV (1 project) (why the voltage matters). Each of the 3 projects is listed under a different company. Target online dates for the projects not yet running span Sep 2027 to Dec 2028. All of them fall in ERCOT's Coastal 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| El Sauz Ranch8663 EL SAUZ POI 345kV | El Sauz Ranch Wind, LLC | Wind | 301.5 | Dec 2026 | Approved for synchronization |
| Monte Alto 2 Windtap 345kV 8318 Rio Hondo - 8383 N Edinburg | Monte Alto Windpower, LLC | Wind | 199.2 | Dec 2028 | Signed; security posted |
| Lyford Energy5745 E Raymondville 138kV | Lyford Energy, LLC | Battery storage (stand-alone) | 101.2 | Sep 2027 | In study |
| Los Vientos IB Repower#8319 RIOHONDO 138 kV | Los Vientos Windpower IB, LLC | Wind | 184.8 | Mar 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 Willacy County
- Willacy County appraisal district and tax office: parcel records and agricultural valuation, which a lease can end (directory, Texas Comptroller · rollback taxes).
- TCEQ Region 15, Harlingen: 1804 W Jefferson Ave, Harlingen TX 78550-5247, 956-425-6010; spills, 24 hours: 800-832-8224. Handles the construction stormwater permit for sites of 1 acre or more (TCEQ).
- Willacy 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 Willacy County.
Permits and reviews for Willacy County
Texas has no state siting permit for solar or wind, and Texas counties generally have no zoning authority, so a project in Willacy 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 Willacy County connects to the grid
Willacy County is on the ERCOT grid. The projects listed above are in ERCOT's Coastal 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 Willacy 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 Willacy 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 15
Brooks · Cameron · Hidalgo · Jim Hogg · Kenedy · Starr