Home › Texas permits › Bell County
Bell County, Texas: solar, wind, and storage permits
Who to call and what to check for a solar, wind, or battery storage project in Bell County. Texas has no statewide siting permit for solar or wind, so the key contacts are the appraisal district, state environmental offices, the grid operator, and the county itself.
Who handles property records and taxes in Bell County?
The Bell County appraisal district keeps parcel records and decides agricultural or wildlife valuation, which a solar or storage lease can end, triggering rollback taxes. The Texas Comptroller lists the district's and the county tax office's phone, email, address, and website, plus local taxing districts such as groundwater conservation districts.
Bell County directory (Texas Comptroller)Lease rates and rollback taxes
Which TCEQ office covers Bell County?
TCEQ Region 9, Waco
6801 Sanger Ave, Ste 2500, Waco TX 76710-7826
Main line: 254-751-0335 · Spills, 24 hours: 800-832-8224
Construction that disturbs 1 acre or more needs coverage under TCEQ's Construction General Permit (TXR150000) and a stormwater pollution prevention plan.
TCEQ region directoryConstruction stormwater permit
Does Bell County have zoning or a solar permit?
Texas counties generally do not have zoning authority, and the state has no siting permit for solar or wind generation. Projects are usually shaped instead by site control, road use agreements with the county, tax agreements, and utility interconnection. If the county takes part in FEMA's flood insurance program, its floodplain administrator issues development permits in mapped flood zones. Ask the county judge's office or commissioners court about road use and any local requirements.
What energy projects are proposed in Bell County?
ERCOT's August 2026 interconnection report lists 13 proposed energy projects in Bell County (5 solar, 7 battery storage and 1 gas), about 3,098 MW in all. 8 of the 13 have a signed interconnection agreement, and 4 have been energized or approved to connect.
Got an offer? Check whether the company or project appears here. A listing means a developer asked ERCOT to study connecting it to the grid; many listed projects are never built, and projects further along are more likely to proceed.
Scroll the table sideways to see every column.
| Project and connection point | Developer | Type | MW | Projected in service | Stage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hermes SolarTap 345kV 3687 Bell County East Switch - 39950 TNP One Plant Ckt 2 | Bell 1 Solar, LLC | Solar | 100.4 | Jun 2026 | Approved to connect |
| Hermes StorageTap 345kV 3687 Bell County East Switch - 39950 TNP One Plant Ckt 2 | Bell 1 Storage LLC | Battery storage | 100.4 | Aug 2026 | Approved to connect |
| Chillingham Solar3687 Bell County East 345kV | Chillingham Solar LLC | Solar | 352.4 | Oct 2026 | Approved to connect |
| Limewood Solar3420 Temple Pecan Creek 138kV | Limewood Bell Renewables, LLC | Solar | 204.6 | Dec 2026 | Energized |
| Cosper SolarTap 138kV 115 Ding Dong - 3630 Copperas Cove Tu | Gransolar Texas Twenty LLC | Solar | 148.2 | Nov 2027 | Signed; security posted |
| Big Elm Storage3404 Belfalls 345kV | Big Elm Storage, LLC | Battery storage (paired with solar) | 120.0 | Dec 2028 | Signed; security posted |
| Limewood Storage3420 Temple Pecan Creek 138kV | Limewood Bell Renewables LLC | Battery storage (paired with solar) | 50.0 | Dec 2028 | Signed; security posted |
| Goldeneye BESS3423 KILLEEN Switch 138 KV | Black Mountain Energy Storage II | Battery storage (stand-alone) | 201.6 | May 2028 | Signed Feb 2024 |
| Lavita BESSTap 345kV Temple Pecan Creek (3412) - Temple Switch (3414) 345kV ckt 2 | Lavita BESS, LLC | Battery storage (stand-alone) | 606.0 | Jul 2028 | In study |
| Butcherbird SolarTap 138 kV - Bell County #133 to Bartlett Switch #114 | Butcherbird Solar, LLC | Solar | 116.0 | Jan 2029 | In study |
| Bell County Leifester StorageTap 138kV 3428 Killeen South – 13628 Founders Trail Sub | DM-BCRCML, LLC | Battery storage (stand-alone) | 204.8 | Sep 2029 | In study |
| Bell County Morgan StorageTo Tap 138 kV Trimmier Substation (Bus# 136) | DM-BCTRM, LLC | Battery storage (stand-alone) | 256.3 | Dec 2029 | In study |
| Riviera GasTap #3414 Temple Switch - #3780 Tower Switch 345kV DCKT Line | BKV-BPP Power | Gas combined cycle | 636.9 | Jun 2030 | In study |
Stage: In study means ERCOT is still studying the connection; Signed means the interconnection agreement is signed; security posted means the developer has also posted financial security and a notice to proceed; Energized and Approved to connect mean ERCOT has approved the project to energize or synchronize with the grid. "Self-limiting" batteries are reported as 0 MW because they are sized below the site's total capacity. Source: ERCOT Generator Interconnection Status (GIS) Report, August 2026. ERCOT prepares this report for planning purposes from data entered by developers and transmission providers, and notes it may contain errors or be out of date.
Where are the flood maps for Bell County?
FEMA flood maps for Bell County
How does a project here connect to the grid?
Most of Texas is on the ERCOT grid, but parts of the Panhandle and northeast Texas are in SPP, parts of east Texas are in MISO, and El Paso is in the western grid. The serving utility decides which process applies.
Interconnection by market and utilityERCOT resource integration
What state and federal reviews can apply?
Depending on the site: wetland permits from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, endangered species review through U.S. Fish and Wildlife, historic review through the Texas Historical Commission, wildlife comments from Texas Parks and Wildlife, and FAA notice for tall structures like wind turbines.
Statewide and federal contactsTexas decommissioning law
Check a specific property in Bell County
Get a free land report for any point: flood zone, wetlands, nearest power line, soils, and parcel acreage.
Other counties served by TCEQ Region 9
Bosque · Brazos · Burleson · Coryell · Falls · Freestone · Grimes · Hamilton · Hill · Lampasas · Leon · Limestone · Madison · McLennan · Milam · Mills · Robertson · San Saba · Washington