Abbott invited to Nacero groundbreaking

Florida company signs on to provide wind, solar power

PENWELL With plans to bring in Gov. Greg Abbott for the groundbreaking and other heady developments, the Nacero Corp. is advancing rapidly with its plan to build a first-of-its-kind $7-billion natural-gas-to-gasoline plant in this oilfield ghost town 15 miles west of Odessa alongside Interstate 20.

The other new development in the ambitious all-green scenario is Nacero’s inking of a contract with NextEra Energy Resources to supply the plant with electricity from NextEra’s mulitudinous wind and solar farms.

Nacero Project Integration Director Wesley Burnett of Odessa said Monday that the groundbreaking will be scheduled to accommodate Gov. Abbott’s schedule if indeed he can do it. “We hope to break ground in the first quarter or in April,” said Burnett, former director of economic development for the Odessa Chamber of Commerce.

“We have extended an invitation to the governor and we would love for him to be here. We’re waiting for him to let us know if he can make it.”

Asked where the Nacero plant will get its contracted-for 20 billion kilowatt hours of NextEra power over the 20 years beginning in 2025, NextEra spokeswoman Amanda Sech said, “We have more than 20 wind and solar assets operating in Texas and have been doing business there since 1999.

“We are the largest generator of renewable energy from the wind and sun,” Sech said in an email from the company’s Juno Beach, Fla., headquarters.

The companies had said in a joint news release that the Penwell plant will have the ability to supply gasoline for four million motorists in Texas and the Southwest. “The wind power will complement Nacero’s planned 200-megawatt on-site solar photovoltaic power plant and ensure that the facility is powered by 100 percent renewable electricity,” they said.

NextEra Senior Vice President of Development Matt Handel said his company “applauds Nacero’s commitment to sustainability through their innovative technology and we are pleased to be able to support the company’s renewable energy goals.

“This will also create significant economic stimulus for the local community, creating good jobs and additional tax revenue,” Handel said.