Oak Hill Solar Facility

200 Megawatts in Rusk County, Operating Since 2025

Vistra’s Oak Hill site has been powering Texas for decades – but its role in Texas’ power landscape has changed over the years. Before it became the 200-MW Oak Hill Solar Facility in 2025, it was a lignite mine, fueling the nearby Martin Lake Power Plant. Today, solar panels sit atop the reclaimed former mine land, where mining ended in 2016. Vistra is proud to have found a new life for the land to generate electricity, benefiting Texas’ economy and grid. And there’s more to come – another 200 MW are currently under construction as part of the Phase 2 buildout.

Aerial view of the Oak Hill Solar Facility in Rusk County, Texas

Oak Hill Solar Facility, Rusk County, Texas

Oak Hill at Work

Generating Capacity
200MW
Solar power delivered to the ERCOT grid from Rusk County.
In Service
2025
The solar facility began delivering power to the grid that year.
Mining Ended
2016
The previously mined land has been reclaimed.
Second Phase
200MW
Oak Hill 2 is under construction at the same site.

Giving a Closed Mine a Second Working Life

The Oak Hill mine supplied lignite until operations ended in 2016. As a responsible steward of the land, Vistra closed, reclaimed, and restored the mine property.

The reclaimed land of a former mine site is an innovative and productive location for a solar generation facility. The property has been cleared and restored from its former use, and it sits within an established industrial site. Returning former industrial or brownfield land to productive commercial use benefits the local economy by expanding the tax base and creating construction jobs.

The result is 200 MW of power on the ERCOT grid, built on land reserved for industrial use for decades.

New Megawatts to Meet Growing Customer Demand

Texas is growing. Families want to live here. Businesses want to be here. Manufacturers want to build here. Electricity demand is rising, and Vistra and its customers are responding.

A long-term power purchase agreement made construction and operation of Oak Hill’s 200-MW facility possible, while increasing the amount of power flowing to the grid for all customers’ benefit. These private business-to-business commitments can help finance and build a project of this size. Customer demand is driving new investment, adding reliability and resiliency to Texas’ electric grid.

Vistra first disclosed the agreement and the facility’s commercial operation date in its third-quarter 2025 results.

A Second Phase Under Construction

Vistra is building a second 200-MW phase at the Oak Hill site. Known as Oak Hill 2, it is under construction and currently expected to be in service in 2027. Together with the 200 MW already operating, Oak Hill’s solar generation will soon reach 400 MW.

Vistra will share additional construction updates as warranted.

Oak Hill at a Glance

Fuel sourceSolar
Operating capacity (Phase 1)200 MW
Began operations2025
LocationRusk County, Texas
Previous site useOak Hill lignite mine
Mining operations ended2016
Power marketERCOT
Phase 2Oak Hill 2: 200 MW, under construction, currently expected to be in service in 2027
OfftakeLong-term power purchase agreement

Questions About Oak Hill Solar

Is the Oak Hill Solar Facility operating?

Yes. Oak Hill Solar began commercial operation in 2025 and delivers 200 MW of solar generation to the ERCOT grid. The facility is located in Rusk County, Texas, on the reclaimed site of the former Oak Hill lignite mine, where mining operations ended in 2016. Its output is contracted under a long-term power purchase agreement, while the power flows to the ERCOT grid for the benefit of all electricity users.

Oak Hill Solar is in Rusk County in East Texas. It sits on land that was formerly the Oak Hill lignite mine, which supplied fuel to a nearby power plant until mining operations ended in 2016; the mine was closed, and the land was reclaimed.

Reclaimed mine land has been cleared and restored from its former use, and it sits within an established industrial site. Returning former industrial or brownfield land to productive commercial use benefits the local economy by expanding the tax base and creating construction jobs.

Oak Hill’s solar facility will soon reach 400 MW of capacity. Capacity is the facility’s maximum output; actual generation varies with sunlight across the day and the year. It has a current generation capacity of 200 MW. Vistra is building a second 200-MW phase at the Oak Hill site. Known as Oak Hill 2, it is under construction and is currently expected to be in service in 2027.

The Oak Hill lignite mine. Lignite is a low-grade coal that was mined in East Texas to fuel a nearby power generation plant. Mining at Oak Hill ended in 2016, and the land was reclaimed.

Yes. A second 200-MW phase, known as Oak Hill 2, is under construction at the same site in Rusk County and is currently expected to be in service in 2027. Together with the 200 MW already operating, Oak Hill’s solar generation will reach 400 MW.

More on Vistra’s Investments in Reliability Across Texas

Under construction
Permian Basin Power Plant Expansion
Two new natural gas units adding 860 MW near Monahans.
Under construction
Coleto Creek Power Plant
A coal-to-natural-gas conversion keeping about 630 MW on the grid in Goliad County.
Operating
Texas Natural Gas Plant Uprates
Upgrades at existing plants that have added about 470 MW to ERCOT.
Overview
Vistra’s Plan to Support Reliability
How Vistra is adding generation across Texas, and what is coming next.

Questions about this project? Contact us.