Mayor Turner announces approval to build nation’s largest urban solar farm in Sunnyside landfill

HOUSTON – Mayor Turner announced Friday the approval for the proposed Sunnyside Solar Farm, according to a release.

The project will transform the 240-acre landfill into a 50-megawatt solar project that will generate enough energy to power 5,000 homes and create jobs and job training in the community, which is historically underrepresented.

The project has been approved by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to proceed with the project.

Turner said the Sunnyside landfill has been closed for 50 years and has created health and economical disparities for the Black and brown community.

“In Houston, we have re-imagined this space with an environmental-justice lens,” Turner said.

According to the mayor, the major investment will provide over 300 jobs to the Sunnyside community as well as residents throughout the city. The project will provide renewable power sources that will generate enough power for 5,000 to 10,000 homes.

It will be the largest urban solar farm in the nation.

The solar farm will also eliminate 120 million pounds of carbon out of the air, according to Turner.

By July 2023, the city plans to break ground in the landfill.

Watch the full announcement below: