Commissioners adjust abatements for solar farms
Jan. 14—After three proposed development projects failed to get their day in the sun, the Hunt County Commissioners Court gave them some more time to get underway.
During its first regular session of the year Tuesday, the commissioners approved modifications of previously adopted tax abatement agreements for three planned solar farms.
"This is a request to extend the start dates for three small solar farms," Hunt County Civil Attorney Daniel Ray said, adding the projects are among the smaller of several farms that have been proposed in the county. "These are one-to-two megawatt farms."
The projects included the Caddo Mills Solar LLC, Wieland Solar LLC and Lone Oak Solar LLC, which Ray said are all expected to be completed.
"Due to COVID and the impact on the supply chain and labor, these projects, which were approved some time ago, did not begin or finish in time to get the full value of the tax abatements," Ray said.
The improvements under the agreements include construction of solar distribution facilities with an added value of approximately $1.6 million per Caddo Mills and Wieland Solar reinvestment zones and $800,000 for the Lone Oak Solar reinvestment zone.
Ray said the total under the abatements did not change.
"They are still still 50% over five years, the same as we have give to all solar farms," Ray said.
The commissioners voted unanimously to adjust the new starting dates for each project under the abatements to Jan. 1, 2023.
