The North Dakota Public Service Commission on June 18 adopted findings of fact and an order approving Flickertail Solar Project LLC’s application for a certificate of site compatibility to build a 295.1-megawatt alternating-current solar energy conversion facility in Richland County.

The commission’s order found the project — projected to cover approximately 3,144 acres in Abercrombie Township — would produce minimal adverse effects on the environment and local welfare when sited and operated as proposed. The company estimated construction would begin in the first quarter of 2026, finish by 2028 and cost about $375 million. Commercial operations were projected to begin in 2028.

Flickertail’s application included surveys for natural and cultural resources, a glare analysis, and plans to avoid wetland impacts. The record showed Flickertail obtained a conditional-use permit from Abercrombie Township and negotiated with the North Dakota Game and Fish Department to remove and replace one parcel enrolled in the PLOTS program so that the PLOTS parcel would be outside the project boundary. The order requires the company to file a decommissioning plan and comply with the commission’s decommissioning rules before operations commence.

During discussion, commissioners noted public attendance at the March 24 hearing in Wahpeton and local input. One commissioner questioned taking thousands of acres of cropland out of production; commissioners said the company selected an area of lower agricultural productivity and that much of the project area is not currently farmed.

The commission voted to approve Flickertail’s certificate of site compatibility. The order directs compliance with applicable township zoning requirements, avoidance and mitigation measures for identified avoidance areas, and adherence to the State Historical Society’s unanticipated discovery plan should cultural resources be encountered.

The project will include photovoltaic panels with tracking racking systems, inverters, transformers, collection cables, a collector substation, security fencing, a SCADA system, and an operations and maintenance facility. The commission’s order concluded the proposed facility is compatible with environmental preservation and the efficient use of resources when operated under the conditions set in the order.