A public hearing is planned for Tuesday (Aug. 5) at the Lonoke County courthouse at 10 am to discuss details of a potential 5,600 acre, 300 megawatt solar field near Keo.
Lonoke County officials posted public notice of the meeting to allow input on “the issuance of not to exceed $700,000,000 in aggregate principal amount of a Taxable Industrial Development Revenue Bond (Downstream Solar Project)” by the county.
The notice indicates the up-to $700 million bond will help finance the acquisition, construction and equipping of an “up to 300-megawatt AC photovoltaic solar generation facility” and other facilities necessary for commercial operation, including “a battery storage facility.”
A 300-megawatt facility could provide power for more than 100,000 homes.
The location for the proposed project is in parts of Lonoke County that include Keo and unincorporated areas in the region including “South of Toltec Road, between Highway 161 and Bill Bryant Road.”
The project, which would be one of the largest solar facilities in Arkansas, would be owned by the county and leased to Downstream Solar Energy LLC, a Delaware LLC formed in October 2021, according to the public notice.
Keo Mayor Stephanie White said she hopes people will show up on Tuesday to register their thoughts and get questions answered regarding the potential solar project.
“This is the public’s opportunity to provide feedback,” White said. “My understanding is that the energy representatives and their counsel will be there and they will be discussing the PILOT, which is a ‘Payment In Lieu Of Taxes’ agreement, with the county. They are seeking a 65% tax abatement for 30 years. They’ve disclosed that to me, but I’m not certain about what their offer is to the county judge.”
Oral and written opinions are welcome to be submitted at the hearing. At some point after the hearing, but not on Tuesday, the Lonoke County Quorum Court will have to consider an agreement negotiated by the county judge.
White said she views the solar project as a positive for her community and the region.
“It’s such a large scale project in our area, I hope it can boost agritourism and we want to work with them to build a portion of the project that’s within the city limits and to build it so that we can explore agrivoltaics, which is where they graze animals and do natural grasses and pollinators and things like that,” she said.
“My hope is that one day we would be able to have a visitor education demonstration place. We’re hopeful that they will consider laying down yard in the city limits of Keo so that we can benefit from the sales tax revenue of the delivery of the supplies. We have some commercial space that we’re hopeful they will consider using for office, meeting or storage space. And then, just the regular benefits of we’re going to be doubling our population, if you will, with the amount of workers that are coming. I hope they’ll utilize our goods and services and restaurants available,” added White.