Major Bethel solar project ready for township final approval
BETHEL TWP. — A 200-megawatt solar farm on 1,546 acres of leased farmland in Bethel Township is near final approval for construction.
In a special Monday night meeting, Jan. 23, the Bethel Township Planning Commission sent the special-use permit application of Branch Solar LLC to the township board for Feb. 13 meeting consideration.
The commission delayed a decision Jan. 9 for review by new zoning administrator Matt Ashenfelter appointed this month to replace Robert Hawley
The commission will require bonds for both decommissioning after its leases expire and bonds to repair any tile fields and drains that might be damaged during construction.
Once all permits are approved, work is expected to begin by 2024 with completion in 2025.
For nearly two years, the township developed a solar farm ordinance after property owners signed leases on 31 parcels of land totaling 1.534 acres. Branch Solar will fence 1,058 of these acres behind eight-foot fences with planted screening where required.
The project will avoid wetlands and must obtain state permits. It plans to use native wildflowers and grasses underneath the panels to provide for pollination and for native habitat.
There is a six-inch gap at the bottom of fencing to allow for small animal movement.
Setbacks from non-participating properties are a minimum 50 feet, 25 feet from wetlands, and 100 feet from county drains.
Generally, the project is on both sides of Lockwood Road bound by Snow Prairie Road on the west and the township line on the east. The north boundary is Fenn Road with Central Road on the south.
A substation will be constructed near the 138 KV grid line crosses Lockwood Road east of Butcher Road.
Originally Samsung electronics proposed the solar farm but spun off its interest to Branch Solar LLC. Tim Gehring of NorthStar Clean Energy said the company purchased the project from Samsung but will remain a partner for a short time then as a consultant for permitting.
NorthStar said there is a power purchase agreement in place for the 200 MW they can’t disclose but expect to be announced later by the purchaser. The company now is working on its generator interconnect agreement with the transmission company and is a couple of months away with gaining its permit with the grid Midcontinent Independent System Operator.
All new power projects waited almost three years for MISO to tell companies what they must pay for transmission upgrades, millions of dollars per project. Those decisions came in December.
The total project cost will be in excess of $267 million including those transmission upgrades and equipment with development fees.
The company said 168 jobs will come with construction with ten permanent jobs adding $14.7 million to the economy during construction and $410,000 annually.
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NorthStar estimates current property tax revenue over the 25-year life of the project at $25.4 million with $12 million for the districts schools' and $11.4 million for the county.
Under current state law solar farms remain agriculture land and can be returned to agriculture use at the end of the useful project life.
— Contact Don Reid: dReid@Gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter: @DReidTDR.
This article originally appeared on Coldwater Daily Reporter: Major Bethel solar project ready for township final approval
