THE APEX TIMES
Meta signs another Texas solar PPA with Zelestra, extending a clean-energy buildout aimed at 100% clean power
The new agreement covers electricity from Meta’s Palmera Solar Plant project in Freestone County, Texas, as the companies expand a multi-project U.S. portfolio expected to come online by 2028.
Meta Platforms has added a new U.S. solar project to its long-running procurement push for renewable electricity. The company signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) with clean-energy developer and operator Zelestra for a solar plant in Freestone County, Texas, according to announcements covered by ESG Dive.
Under the deal, power from the Palmera Solar Plant is intended to support Meta’s goal of operating on 100% clean energy, ESG Dive reported. The project is described as having capacity of 180 megawatts direct current (MWdc). MWdc is the measure of a solar plant’s panel-rated output under standard conditions, often compared with alternating-current capacity after inverters and grid interconnection are accounted for.
ESG Dive said the new agreement builds on an existing Meta-Zelestra partnership already backed by multiple PPAs across the United States. Together, the companies said they have PPAs covering about 1.4 gigawatts direct current of solar capacity spanning eight U.S.-based projects, with an expectation that all will be online by 2028.
The reporting also tied Meta’s expansion to Zelestra’s broader development pipeline. ESG Dive noted that Zelestra has been building the Skull Creek Solar Plant in Anderson County, Texas, with a generation capacity of 176 MWdc, and the Reclamation Solar Project in Gibson County, Indiana, with a generation capacity of 200 MWdc. Meta’s PPAs are described as supporting those projects, with the companies estimating job creation of about 400 positions at peak construction activity across the two sites.
In addition to new build projects, ESG Dive said the partnership already has an operating asset. The Jasper County Solar Project in Indiana, described as 81 MWdc, recently became commercially operational and is characterized as the first project delivered under the Meta-Zelestra framework.
Broader context matters because corporate renewable procurement has become a central strategy for large electricity users seeking to secure long-term clean power. For Meta, data-center and other infrastructure loads can create demand for additional grid supply, while PPAs can provide revenue predictability for developers building renewable generation. Zelestra, for its part, positions these agreements as a way to finance and accelerate clean-energy construction while delivering decarbonization services to large corporate buyers, based on the partnership description summarized by ESG Dive.
What remains unclear is the specific contract structure and commercial terms of the Palmera PPA. The announcement coverage did not include pricing details, the exact term length, any guaranteed performance metrics, or whether the electricity is fully dedicated to Meta load through specific grid arrangements or bundled structures. Meta also did not provide, in the coverage summarized here, project-level milestones beyond the stated commissioning timeline for the wider portfolio.
Why It Matters
- A new PPA extends Meta’s renewable procurement footprint, adding more contracted solar capacity tied to its clean-energy operating goals.
- Long-term PPAs can influence regional solar buildout schedules and can help developers secure financing for additional construction.
- The scale described in the Meta-Zelestra portfolio, about 1.4 GWdc across eight projects, suggests corporate demand is continuing to shape U.S. renewable development.
- Job and construction estimates cited for partner projects highlight the local economic impact that often accompanies utility-scale solar.
Key Facts
- Meta signed a power purchase agreement with Zelestra for a solar plant in Freestone County, Texas, reported as the Palmera Solar Plant.
- Palmera is described as having capacity of 180 MWdc.
- ESG Dive reported the partnership covers about 1.4 GWdc of solar capacity across eight U.S. projects.
- The companies said the projects are expected to come online by 2028.
- Zelestra projects mentioned as supported by Meta PPAs include Skull Creek Solar (176 MWdc) in Texas and Reclamation Solar (200 MWdc) in Indiana.
- ESG Dive said the Jasper County Solar Project in Indiana (81 MWdc) is already commercially operational.
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