Recurrent Energy asks Cooke County permission for engineer access to thoroughfare plan as early-stage solar project progresses
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Summary
Recurrent Energy told Cooke County commissioners it is developing an 80-megawatt, 550-acre solar project east of Valley View and asked the court’s permission to allow engineering firm Freese and Nichols to share geolocated thoroughfare-plan data with the company; the court approved the request without cost to the county.
Recurrent Energy asked the Cooke County Commissioners Court for permission to have Freese and Nichols provide geolocated mapping of a proposed minor-arterial road near an early-stage solar project so the developer can finalize setbacks and layout.
The company’s project developer, Jennifer Fundora, told the court the site is east of Valley View, about 550 acres with an approximate capacity of 80 megawatts, and that construction could begin in third quarter next year with commercial operations about a year later. "We are an independent power producer…if we were to construct this project, we would be the neighbor in Cooke County for the 30 to 40 years that the project would be around," Fundora said.
Fundora said Recurrent Energy had attempted to obtain the geolocated reference files directly from Freese and Nichols but was told the firm requires permission from its client (Cooke County) before releasing design data. She asked the court to allow Freese and Nichols to discuss the county thoroughfare-plan alignment with Recurrent Energy and to provide a reference file showing the planned road location. Fundora said Recurrent Energy would pay any fees charged by Freese and Nichols for that work.
Commissioners discussed practical limits and clarified the request was for fact-finding only; Commissioner Snuggs moved that Freese and Nichols be allowed to discuss the thoroughfare plan with Recurrent Energy at no cost to the county, with the condition the county not pay for the work and that Freese and Nichols not alter the county plan without returning to the court. The motion was seconded and approved unanimously.
The court did not adopt or change the county thoroughfare plan during the discussion. The approval documented only permission for Freese and Nichols to share information and for Recurrent Energy to contract directly for any work needed to evaluate the planned road alignment relative to its project.
The court recorded the action as a motion to allow Freese and Nichols to consult with Recurrent Energy and provide geolocated plan data; the motion passed by the full court.
