The company that keeps the lights on in San Antonio, CPS Energy, took a major step in expanding its renewable energy portfolio Monday, January 22. The company, which serves as one of the largest city-owned and operated energy providers in the country, just snagged a major deal with a solar energy provider.
Not only did CPS Energy manage to ink a deal with Genesis Consolidated Industries Holdings, more commonly referred to as GCI, to secure an additional 150 MW of solar power — enough to power 30,000 homes — but the company is now looking to move its headquarters to San Antonio. This move could create upward of 75 well-paying jobs in the Alamo City.
The major money move is part of CPS Energy’s continue effort to diversify its energy sources and prioritizing renewable energy sources, which San Antonio officials say are what help keep power stable during extreme weather events.
“This is not only going to keep the lights on, it’s going to ensure that people have an upward trajectory in our city and have career opportunities right here at home,” San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg said during a press conference Monday. “But it is a solar deal, too. And I just want to expand a little bit on what [CPS Energy CEO] Rudy [Garza] was saying. Contrary to what might be out there, solar and wind in this day have kept the lights on under some of the most difficult conditions.”
Garza said the move is part of CPS Energy’s mission since 2020 to diversify the company’s energy sources — a move backed by community input and “difficult decisions” from the CPS Energy Board of Trustees. This 150 MW of increased solar energy supply is set to match the year-over-year increased demand on the local grid, according to Garza, keeping in step with the 30,000 new residents he says migrate to the city each year.
“We’re one of the fastest growing communities in the country, and we remain one of the fastest growing communities in the country. So, the work we’re doing to add generation right now is just to try to keep up with the growth of San Antonio while we’re thinking critically about our future generation options,” Garza said. “So, today, we’re proud to announce a new partnership with GCI which will provide our community with an additional 150 MW of solar capacity.”
This new project, which is set to become operational by summer 2025, is one step in what marks a major growth sector of power generation for CPS Energy, which currently has 551 MW in operating solar capacity. However, the company has secured an additional 730 MW in contracted solar generation, bringing the total amount of power generated by solar energy to nearly 1,300 MW — enough to power more than 250,000 homes, according to Garza’s math.
Not only will this new endeavor with GCI create a more sustainable future for the City of San Antonio that’s more reliant on renewable energy resources, but the deal includes several economic benefits for the city as well. GCI has agreed to invest $300,000 into engineering and technical education programs in the Alamo City.
GCI co-founder and CEO Robert R. Hayward II told MySA his company already has a partnership with Austin Community Colleges and the Texas Workforce Commission where they have implemented the first renewable energy curriculum for future technicians with zero experience in the renewable energy industry. The program leads up to an apprenticeship with the company, said Hayward, creating a pipeline of skilled workers into the solar energy sector. GCI officials hope to mirror this successful program in the Alamo Colleges District.
Hayward said as part of this deal, GCI — which has secured 80,000 acres across the U.S. for its solar energy production efforts — plans to move its operational headquarters to San Antonio, creating 75 well-paying jobs in the Alamo City. The office in the Alamo City will primarily focus on planning, equipment selection, supply chain management, and engineering support — a series of roles Hayward summarized as development operations.
“I am grateful and honored to work with the CPS Energy team in providing 150 MW of renewable energy to the Greater San Antonio area,” Hayward said. “Exodus 1, being GCI’s flagship project in the region, will make both a significant economic and grid impact within the Greater San Antonio region. We are optimistic that the relationship we are forging with CPS Energy will lay a solid foundation for long-term partnership for many years to come within the region.”
