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Council approves Creede Solar FELO; company and neighbors pledge pollinator plans
Summary
Kershaw County adopted a fee‑in‑lieu (FELO) agreement for the Creede (Creed/Creede) solar project on third reading after council inserted final sponsor and property descriptions; county staff said the project will generate roughly $182,400 a year for the county based on 48 megawatts at $3,800 per megawatt and a 40‑year exemption period.
Kershaw County Council approved on third reading a fee‑in‑lieu (FELO) ordinance and accompanying agreement for the Creede solar project, including final project sponsor identification and property descriptions.
Two neighbors and small‑business owners spoke during the project's public hearing. Craig Bell, a beekeeper from Rembert, said he plans to place hives at the array and expects higher honey production and pollination benefits for surrounding farms. "We'll keep the honeybees near the solar array," Bell told the council. Sandra Dollar, who said she is a nearby resident, praised the project as "quiet" and "clean" and urged the county to approve additional solar projects.
At the dais, council members confirmed the financial terms and contract details in a staff‑prepared final exhibit. County staff summarized the fiscal estimate used in presentations: the standard calculation presented to council was $3,800 per megawatt; the project sponsor and staff identified the project as a 48‑megawatt facility, equating to about $182,400 a year in FELO revenue for the county. County staff said distributions to local taxing entities can vary by how the property is reported to the Department of Revenue; typical distributions run roughly 40–60% to the school district depending on reporting and calculation method.
Representatives for the company — including attorney Dane Riddle — told the council the negotiated term in the draft documents is a 40‑year exemption period; the county record shows the company asked to retain that 40‑year term and council declined to shorten it during the meeting.
Councilman Shewmake moved an amendment to populate the final FELO exhibit with Creede Solar LLC as project sponsor and the final parcel descriptions; that amendment passed. The FELO ordinance then passed on third reading with a roll‑call vote: Shoemake (yes), Bridal (yes), Connell (yes), Tomlinson (yes); Cato (no), Jones (no).
County staff said the county will finalize the FELO agreement and publish the executed ordinance and agreement once the sponsor completes ministerial closing steps. Staff also noted the project includes a pollinator/beekeeping plan with a local beekeeper under contract, which proponents said may produce additional ecological benefits.
The county will receive the FELO payments annually as described in the ordinance and remit funds according to local distribution rules. The agreement includes standard provisions about project specifications, the exemption period and property descriptions; the executed FELO agreement will be filed in county records.
