In April 2025, Irby Construction Company broke ground on SMT Houston IV, a grid-scale Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) developed by SMT Energy in partnership with CenterPoint Energy. Located in the Houston Zone of the ERCOT market, the project will deliver 160 megawatts of capacity and 320 megawatt-hours of storage to support peak demand, stabilize the grid, and enhance the integration of renewable energy across Texas.

Irby is serving as the Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) contractor, bringing industry-leading expertise in battery infrastructure and high-voltage systems. The SMT Houston IV site will connect to CenterPoint Energy’s transmission system, reinforcing system reliability. 

Irby’s battery division spent over a year engineering the project for maximum efficiency. The team is leveraging experience from more than 30 BESS builds to proactively manage subcontractor coordination, mitigate permitting risks, and maintain the schedule.

Clear communication between engineering and field teams has proven critical, supporting the smooth execution from day one. Construction is scheduled to be completed by mid-2026.

Start Date: April 2025
Completion Date: Scheduled for June 2026

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Irby was awarded the construction of the Florida Power and Light (FPL) EVolution Hub project in August 2021. This innovative microgrid (energy storage project) comprises a 5-MW solar array and a 7.5-MW by 15-MWh stationary battery, as well as two mobile EV trailers. The two, 28-foot mobile EV charging stations, built by our affiliate company Brink Construction, will be able to provide clean energy on the go. The mobile EV trailers will each carry a fully charged battery. The EV chargers will be stationed at FPL’s West Palm Beach service facility, where EV fleet drivers can charge their vehicles. EV charging trailers will help during public emergencies or in evacuation situations, such as hurricanes.

The project will enable FPL to test the design and benefits of movable EV charging stations and gain further insight into microgrid technology.

Irby’s full scope of construction includes site civil and access work, complete solar farm installation incorporating foundations, modules, racking, collection systems, conduit installation, and commissioning of all components of the microgrid. Working with FPL Construction managers, Irby will complete this project by mid-year 2022.

Start Date: August 2021
Scheduled Completion: March 2022

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Irby was awarded the construction of the Florida Light & Power (FPL) Sunshine Gateway Battery Energy Storage Center (BESS) in August of 2020. The 30MW battery storage facility consists of 10 new battery line-ups (battery containers and integrated inverter/pad-mount transformer skids) connected to an adjacent 230/34.5 kV substation. The work includes, but is not limited to, the installation of all civil works, including the BESS pad, drainage infrastructure, roads, foundations, conduits, grounding, structures, equipment, batteries, and battery enclosures, control building, cabling, and testing.

The battery storage system is fed by the FPL Sunshine Gateway Solar Energy Center, a 74.5 MW facility sitting on over 900 acres located near the intersection of I-10 and I-75. The solar plant generates zero-emissions for FPL customers and generates enough renewable energy to power approximately 15,000 Florida homes. Operation of this renewable source is the equivalent of removing 12,000 cars from the road each year.

Local ABC affiliate, 20 WCJB ran a softy on the project. Watch it here. https://www.wcjb.com/content/news/FPL-opens-new-solar-energy-power-plant-in-Columbia-County-506341811.html

Start Date: March 2021
Completion Date: In Progress/Scheduled December 2021

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Irby was awarded the construction of the Florida Light & Power (FPL) Manatee Battery Energy Storage Center (BESS) in August of 2020. The BESS and substation consist of 132 new battery line-ups (battery containers and integrated inverter/pad-mount transformer skids), connected to a new 230/34.5 kV substation. The substation consists of 44 feeder breakers, each connected to three battery line-ups; four bus-tie breakers; six transmission breakers; two charging feeder breakers; three GSUs; and associated other equipment, bus, cables, conduit, grounding, foundations, etc.

This 409MW/900MWh energy storage center, the equivalent of 100 million iPhone batteries, will be the world’s largest solar-powered battery. The project will accelerate the retirement of fossil fuel generation, saving FPL customers more than $100 million while eliminating more than 1 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions. 

“Irby has worked with FPL for over 20 years. However, this is the first project of this kind together and unique in scope,” said Andre Foster, Vice President of Business Development and Major Projects. “Irby looks forward to completing this special project with a long-standing partner like FPL.” 

Start Date: September 2020
Completion Date: In Progress/Scheduled December 2021 

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Online since 2016, Xcel Energy’s (“Xcel”) 120MW Comanche Solar project is the largest solar project east of the Rockies (~3.5 megaton carbon offset), generating enough energy to power more than 31,000 homes. Under EPC contract with Xcel, CG Power USA Inc. (“CGP”) subcontracted Irby in December 2015 to construct a 34.5/230kV substation for the project including a 2.5 mile 34.5kV interconnection between the east and west solar fields and a 230kV underground transmission line from the substation to Xcel’s Comanche Generation Station. The Irby work scope was completed in under six months with zero lost time incidents.

Start Date: December 2015
Completion Date: May 2016

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Founded in 2008, Cross Texas Transmission (“CTT”) is a regulated transmission service provider providing energy to wholesale markets across Texas. The bulk of CTT’s capacity derives from its owned and operated network of transmission lines (>320 miles) which delivers wind power from the Texas Panhandle to its customers.

In January 2016, CTT contracted Irby to incorporate power from the Salt Fork Wind project in Gray and Donley Counties by constructing 25 miles of 345kV transmission line. The Irby work scope included the installation of steel structures, foundations, and wire operations. Irby was assisted by Aldridge Construction (direct embed drilling and structure setting), Winco Powerline (lead-in installation and diverters), and B&M Telecom (Fiber splicing). Both Irby and Winco Powerline are Quanta Services subsidiary companies (PWR:NYSE).

The project was completed in August 2016 to schedule and with zero lost-time incidents.

To learn more about this project watch this video.

Start Date: January 2016
Completion Date: August 2016

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Horse Hollow Wind Energy Center (“HHWEC”) is a ~47,000 acre 735.5 MW wind farm situated in Taylor and Nolan Counties, Texas. Built, owned, and operated by NextEra Energy Resources (“NextEra”) (via its subsidiaries including Horse Hollow Generation Tie, LLC), the project’s 421 turbines are capable of generating enough electricity to power more than 220,600 homes.

In April 2009, Irby was contracted to construct 235 miles of 345kV and 12 miles of 138kV transmission line to deliver power from HHWEC to NextEra’s customers in the San Antonio area. Completed ahead of schedule and without incident, Irby acted as the prime contractor for the project on behalf of a consortium of Quanta Services (PWR:NYSE) subsidiary companies including North Houston Pole Line, Dillard Smith, Dashiell Engineering, and Can-Fer Utilities.

In addition to the transmission lines, Irby crews also installed over 600 concrete, steel ,and hybrid poles, and strung over 90 miles of bundle conductor for the project. The project was delivered on time and to budget in April 2010.

Start Date: April 2009
Completion Date: April 2010

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Competitive Renewable Energy Zones (“CREZ”) were introduced by the Texas State Legislature in 2005 to alleviate grid congestion and integrate renewable energy resources (primarily wind from rural west Texas) into more heavily populated metropolitan areas (e.g., Austin, Dallas-Fort Worth, San Antonio).

Approximately 2,400 miles of electric transmission line was ordered by the Public Utility Commission of Texas and awarded to 10 CREZ transmission service providers. Irby provided transmission construction services to 5 of those service providers, namely: Electric Transmission Texas, Lower Colorado River Authority, Lone Star Transmission, Sharyland Utilities, and South Texas Electric Cooperative over a 3 year period.

Employing various Quanta network contracting configurations (Irby is a Quanta Services company (PWR:NYSE)), Irby collectively built approximately 1,000 miles of line, the majority of which was 345 kV, with small portions of 138 kV throughout.

Start Date: October 2011
Completion Date: December 2014

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