Worth County approves road and drainage easement for Worthwhile Solar Farm West LLC

Worth County supervisors on Tuesday approved a road and drainage easement and maintenance agreement with Worthwhile Solar Farm West LLC for a proposed solar project in the county. The board approved the final draft by voice vote after staff identified a few substantive changes in the version before them.

The agreement removed an energy-storage facility from the project exhibits, shortened a proposed facility term to 30 years (staff said the change aligns with a 30-year warranty on the solar panels), and added language that the project will follow county specifications for road materials. Staff also said the agreement includes language clarifying that county snow-control priorities are not subordinated to the project’s maintenance needs.

Staff described the version before the board as substantially similar to a prior wind-tower road-use agreement but modified with a project map in Exhibit A and the removal of a storage facility. "We went from 50 years to 30 years," one staff presenter said, noting the county moved the term to match panel warranties. Supervisors asked about repowering clauses; staff said repowering would require renegotiation even if it occurred earlier than 30 years.

After discussion about the final edits and confirmation that county materials standards were added, a supervisor moved to approve the road and drainage easement and maintenance agreement for Worthwhile Solar Farm West LLC. The motion was seconded and carried by voice vote.

The board did not provide a roll-call tally in the record. The signed agreement will be filed with county records as part of the project’s permitting and land-use documentation.