Friday, September 25, 2009 at 4:29:51 PM - by Nate Lew

The city of Houston is expected to become the home of a new 10-megawatt solar power plant to be constructed by NRG Energy.

The city has indicated that it will purchase power from the plant under a 25-year agreement.

A Reuters report notes that the plant is expected to be built on 70 acres of land in the northwest part of the city, and that the project will use photovoltaic panels constructed by First Solar. The report also says that NRG is the second largest power generator in Texas and that the 10 megawatt figure marks about 6 percent of Houston's annual power demand.

Elsewhere, the Dallas Morning News notes that the project is expected to result in the largest solar plant in Texas. The newspaper also says that the project will help diversify area fuel production in light of damage done to fossil fuel infrastructure by recent hurricanes.

The newspaper also pointed out that NRG Energy is expected to use the project to study the feasibility of constructing other similar solar power facilities in the state of Texas.