Meeker County approves conditional use permit for 5-megawatt solar garden in Sweet Grove Township

The Meeker County Board of Commissioners approved a conditional use permit on Tuesday to allow development of a 5-megawatt solar garden in Sweet Grove Township.

Commissioner Oberg moved to approve Conditional Use Permit (CUP) 16540 for a 5-megawatt solar garden on land described in the motion; Commissioner Van Ort seconded, and the motion carried with all commissioners voting in favor.

The county planner said the array would cover approximately 43 acres and tie into a distribution line along County State 825 that is expected to be upgraded. "From what I understand, the reason for 5 megawatts now is that infrastructure costs are a lot less than 5 megawatts," the planner said, adding that a 1-megawatt project is increasingly less economical compared with larger arrays.

The project previously received a 6-0 approval from the Planning Commission, the planner said, and no members of the public spoke in opposition at that hearing. County discussion noted the project meets setbacks and did not require waivers.

Commissioners asked about the term of the agreement and decommissioning assurances. The planner said the agreement term is 25 years. On decommissioning, the planner provided an approximate figure for the decommissioning bond of about $650,000.

County staff and commissioners also discussed farmland considerations and land lease economics. One commissioner noted the site had some of the area'''''''''s better farmland, and staff responded that many county solar projects have used less desirable ground. The planner said lease payments on solar projects commonly range by acreage and that a lease can be several thousand dollars per acre per year, typically with a modest annual escalation.

The board approved the CUP with conditions as presented and thanked staff for the presentation.