Construction of Norton Solar Project to Begin in Runnels County

NORTON, TX — Construction of a solar farm in Runnels County will soon begin, according to an announcement Thursday by Avantus and Toyota Tsusho America.

The 159 MWdc/125 MWac Norton Solar Project will be located outside the unincorporated community of Norton, which has less than 100 residents, in west Runnels County.

The nearest town of note is Bronte, about five miles to the west in neighboring Coke County.

Avantus will oversee construction of Norton, which is expected to begin operations in late 2025. As many as 250 jobs could be created at peak construction, providing direct economic benefit to Runnels County and the local community, the press release stated.

“Texas is energy country, and that includes massive opportunities in solar. The Norton Solar Project represents the best of what we do at Avantus — develop high-quality clean energy projects that are good for our customers, for the local economy, and for the planet,” said Avantus Chief Financial Officer Patrick Goff. “This project was six years in the making, and I am proud of our team’s persistence in getting Norton shovel-ready and for securing the project’s successful sale to Toyota Tsusho America, Inc. to help meet their sustainability goals.”

The project is expected to offset more than 230,000 metric tons of CO2 per year — the equivalent of taking more than 50,000 gas-powered cars off the road every year, the release stated.

“Addressing the pressing issue of climate change is a top priority for our company and we are committed to finding innovative and effective solutions,” said Naoyuki Hata, President and CEO of Toyota Tsusho America, Inc. “By leveraging our expertise and collaborating with our customers — who are making progress toward sustainability goals — this Solar Project is an opportunity to create a positive impact on local communities, as well as pave the way toward a sustainable future on a global scale.”

Norton marks the seventh project Avantus has developed and sold in Texas. With more than 80 projects currently in development, Avantus has one of the largest pipelines of solar and energy storage projects in the United States, according to the release.