In Lamar County, Texas, the future of the local community is being put under pressure. Two projects are reshaping the land we know: the already-operating Mockingbird Solar Center just off of Hwy 82 west, and the soon-to-arrive Mockingbird Battery Energy Storage System (BESS). Both are run by Mockingbird Solar Center and Mockingbird Storage Center, owned by Ørsted — a Danish multinational energy giant, more than half owned by the Danish government.
Foreign Interests
The solar project is already online, sending power into the grid, but none of that electricity stays here for local families or local businesses. Now, Ørsted is planning to add the BESS — a massive 320 MW two-hour battery storage system — not to serve Lamar County, but to fuel industrial users like Google, Meta, and Tesla. These giant companies consume hundreds of thousands, even millions, of megawatt-hours each year — far beyond what the local grid or community needs.
Tax Abatements
What makes this even more pressing is that, as confirmed by the Lamar County Commissioners’ Court notice for June 23, 2025, the county is preparing to consider and possibly approve an amended tax abatement agreement requested by Mockingbird Storage Center, LLC, covering roughly 145 million dollars in improvements. This agreement specifically applies to the BESS project and falls under the Lamar County Mockingbird Solar Reinvestment Zone Number 3, covering about 9,500 acres along the north side of Highway 82 west from Paris near Brookston.
Here’s how the money shakes out:
- Lamar County’s combined property tax rate is about 1.45 percent.
- On a 145 million dollar improvement, that equals: 145,000,000 × 1.451174 percent ≈ 2,104,201 dollars per year in taxes.
- On a $145 million improvement, that should bring in:
145,000,000 × 1.451174 percent ≈ $2,104,201 per year in taxes. - But under the amended Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) agreement, Mockingbird Storage Center (BESS) will only pay:
320 MWh × $548 ≈ $175,360 per year.
That’s just 8.3 percent of the full tax bill — a staggering 91 to 92 percent discount — meaning the county is giving up nearly $2 million a year in local revenue.
Meanwhile, local families and small landowners, who’ve already seen their property taxes raised multiple years in a row, are left paying full price. Everyday people carry the full burden, while billion-dollar, foreign-owned corporations walk away with huge tax breaks. This isn’t just numbers on a spreadsheet — this is real money that could go to schools, roads, and services, lost so that wealthy outsiders can profit off local land.
No Benefit to Lamar County
Local residents receive no electricity benefit. There are few to no long-term local jobs created. The projects take up large amounts of land, bring in ugly and noisy equipment, and change the rural feel of the area. These BESS systems bring fire and safety risks, including battery thermal runaway hazards. There is also additional strain on local emergency services without extra resources.
This is happening in a county that voted over 80 percent for Trump in 2024, a community with strong America First, conservative, and localist values. Yet local leaders have approved massive tax abatements for foreign-owned renewable energy companies and California-linked tech firms, bringing in corporate influence and global capital into a region that politically opposes those priorities.
Local leaders need to be asked why they are handing out massive incentives to foreign and corporate players while the community shoulders the costs and risks. This isn’t progress for Texas — it’s outsiders getting rich off Texas land while locals are left holding the short end of the stick.
If you care about protecting local interests, it is time to press your county officials for accountability.
Additional References
Solution! A 391 Regional Planning Commission
This entire situation is exactly why Lamar County needs to form a 391 commission. A 391 commission gives the county a legal framework to evaluate, challenge, and put limits on outside projects that threaten local control, local voice, and the long-term character of the community. Without it, these industrial deals will keep rolling in, benefiting outsiders while everyday residents carry the costs. If you want to help steer this effort and make sure our county has a real seat at the table, visit the following URL to sign the petition and support the push to get a 391 commission in place:
Please sign the petition!
https://www.change.org/p/urge-the-county-court-to-pause-the-battery-energy-storage-system-projects