Marion County Commissioners approve agreement with solar energy company
The Marion County Commissioners have voted to approve an agreement with a company developing a solar energy project in Marion Township.
Marion County Solar Project LLC (MCSP) received approval from the Ohio Power Siting Board (OPSB) in November 2021 to build a 100 megawatt solar energy facility on approximately 700 acres of land in northern Marion Township. The company has leased a total of 970 acres of land in the township from property owner Kepford-Gottfried, Inc.
According to MCSP, its Marion Township facility will "incorporate a 20.3-MW battery energy storage system using power generated by the PV solar panels and will supply the energy to the regional transmission grid through a new project substation."
Savion LLC based in Kansas City, Missouri, is the parent company of the MCSP. According to the company website, Savion has 80 solar projects in development in 26 states and 50 energy storage projects in development in 17 states.
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The agreement between the county and Marion County Solar Project LLC calls for the company to pay $1 million to the county when construction of the facility begins and $1 million when the facility becomes operational.
Additionally, the agreement requires MCSP to make an annual payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT) to the county and other applicable tax districts (including Ridgedale Local School District and Marion Township) in the amount of $700,000, under terms of the Ohio Air Quality Development Authority tax exemption. That equates to $7,000 per megawatt.
Ridgedale Local Schools Treasurer Jason Fleming said the district will receive approximately $356,000 annually from the project.
The county commissioners voted 2-1 in favor of the agreement, with President Andy Appelfeller voting against the resolution. While not opposed to the development of solar energy facilities in Marion County, Appelfeller stated that he was in favor of Marion County Solar Power paying $9,000 per megawatt instead of the $7,000 amount that was approved. At the $9,000 level, the county and other tax districts would have received a $900,000 payment in lieu taxes annually.
Marion CANDO! Executive Director Gus Comstock said the project will be a boost for Marion County on several levels.
"It's like when Wyandot (Snacks) became a B corporation and when Whirlpool put in the wind turbines, now Marion can say we're embracing alternative energy," Comstock said. "It's part of a public relations strategy to attract the best companies and the best employees to your community. Communities have to start thinking 40 or 50 years in the future because fossil fuel isn't going to last forever. You want to be a community that embraces alternative technology because people will look at that when they're deciding whether to locate here. They look at schools and downtowns and what the community's position is on energy.
"I think Marion is well-positioned now as you look five, 10, 20, 30 years into the future that Marion is going to have the reputation and credentials to attract good companies like Savion and in turn good employees."
The solar facility's property is bounded on the west side by POET Biorefining and agricultural land and on the east side by Ohio 423. The southern boundary runs along Marion-Williamsport Road West. The northern side of the property borders more agricultural land.
To date, Marion County Solar Project LLC is the only proposed solar energy facility in the county that has received approval from the Ohio Power Siting Board.
Several townships in Marion County have submitted resolutions to the Marion County Commissioners seeking to restrict development of large-scale solar and wind facilities. The commissioners approved a such a resolution from Pleasant Township during a meeting held June 7.
Trustees from Big Island, Claridon, Richland, and Salt Rock townships have submitted similar resolutions to the commissioners seeking to restrict large-scale solar and wind facility development. Administrative Clerk Teri Slaughterbeck said hearings on those resolutions will be conducted by the county commissioners on Aug. 18.
Email: ecarter@gannett.com | Twitter: @AndrewACCarter
This article originally appeared on Marion Star: Marion Co. Commissioners approve agreement with solar energy company
