Texas city suing Clearway to escape solar contract

The city of Georgetown, Texas is suing a subsidiary of Clearway, over allegations that the company withheld critical project performance details during contract renegotiations for the Buckthorn solar plant in late 2016. The city of Georgetown, (Texas, not the South Carolina one), an hour north of Austin, has filed a lawsuit against Buckthorn Westex LLC, a subsidiary of Clearway, formerly NRG Yield Inc., alleging that the company breached at least three sections of the power contract related to the Buckthorn solar plant in West Texas. Chief among the complaints is the allegation that the company withheld information relating to the long-term performance of the plant during contract amendment negotiations in 2016. As compensation, the company is seeking $1 million in damages and a cancellation of the 25-year contract. The city first took action against Buckthorn Westex in March, when it filed a “notice of event of default” in relation to the project.