OKTIBBEHA COUNTY — A solar farm may be coming to Oktibbeha County.
Monday evening the Oktibbeha County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to approve a notice of intent for a potential fee in lieu agreement for an as-yet-unnamed solar farm that is eying about 800 acres off of Old West Point Road.
Golden Triangle Development LINK CEO Joe Max Higgins told the board an “aggregator” for solar projects is trying to drum up interest in the site.
The site is bounded on the north by Old West Point Road, and stretches as far west as Hickory Grove Road and as far east as Camps Airport Road.
“Emeren is an aggregator,” Higgins explained. “They put solar parcels together and then try to attract solar companies to come in and do (the project). We think this is a new trend we’re going to see.”
Emeren will do the tax work, get connection studies done, get relevant permits and then sell their work to a solar farm to come in and develop, Higgins said.
“This is the first one we’ve seen like this,” Higgins said.
Higgins estimated the capital investment at around $200 million. Anything more than $60 million qualifies for fees in lieu of taxes, and he asked the board to pass a resolution stating they would grant the fee agreement if a project materializes.
“They pay one-third of the tax for 10 years, and then in year 11 they pay the full amount,” Higgins said. “We calculated the county’s share of a $200 million project is around $500,000 (per year). The county and city school system will get right at around $600,000 a year.”
The county isn’t pledging any money or to perform any work, Higgins said. It is only agreeing to grant the fee-in-lieu status once the project is complete.
District 4 Supervisor Pattie Little asked if the site would be shielded from the nearby roads.
“That’s part of the conversation we’re having,” Higgins said. “If you haven’t seen some of these, I would encourage you to go to Lowndes County near (Steel Dynamics). There’s 3,500 acres that’s being developed.”
Origis Energy is building two solar farms in western Lowndes County, near Golden Triangle Regional Airport. Both are currently under construction.
The plant will employ many people during the construction phase, but not for the long haul, Higgins said.
“You’re not looking at a lot of jobs,” Higgins said. “Building there will probably be around 300, but when it’s all said and done maybe 12 (jobs).”
Higgins said the solar plants are part of an effort to build capacity by the Tennessee Valley Authority.
“TVA is kind of in a bind,” Higgins said. “We’re starting to see an uptick. Counting this one, we’ve got three (solar farms) we’re working right now.”
District 1 Supervisor Ben Carver asked if it was likely data miners would be drawn by the increased power availability.
“I don’t think you’re going to see much of that here because I don’t think TVA is going to allow it,” Higgins said. “Data centers, yes, but those (cryptocurrency) deals are set up in shipping containers and they can literally leave tomorrow and leave you high and dry.”
The board unanimously approved the intent resolution.
Brian Jones is the local government reporter for Columbus and Lowndes County.
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