Developer pitches 525‑MW Cedar Valley solar project, seeks 69% tax abatement over 15 years
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Summary
Clean Era presented plans for a 525 MW solar array with 262.5 MW of storage in Cedar Valley and asked Utah County to consider a 69% tax abatement over 15 years; interconnection and a power‑purchase agreement remain pending, and county revenue projections were described as preliminary.
Eric Demeray, senior development project manager with Clean Era, told the Utah County Commission during a work session that his company is proposing a large utility‑scale solar‑plus‑storage facility in Cedar Valley that he said would be among the largest in Utah if built.
Demeray said the project area encompasses a little over 4,000 acres while the final facility footprint will be smaller; he described the planned generating capacity as 525 megawatts of solar with 262.5 megawatts of storage and an estimated construction cost of about $800 million. "If we build this facility, it will be the largest solar facility in the state of Utah," Demeray said at the meeting.
The developer told commissioners the project site is adjacent to a high‑voltage transmission line and that the team expects to interconnect there. Demeray said the project has completed environmental due diligence and secured long‑term land contracts, but it has not yet finalized the large generator interconnection agreement (LGIA) required to attach to the grid. "Without that connection, this project's dead," he said, describing the interconnection study process as lengthy and potentially expensive.
On the commercial side, Demeray said his team is in late‑stage talks with an offtaker under nondisclosure agreements and is targeting commercial operations in September 2025, with roughly two years of construction if permits and contracts are secured. He said workforce availability during construction is a constraint, while long‑term staffing needs at an operating solar facility would be small.
As part of the presentation, Clean Era said it would seek a tax abatement. Demeray described a proposed 69% abatement over 15 years and provided preliminary county revenue figures: about $10 million to the county over 35 years without abatement, and roughly $4.4 million to the county over the project life under the proposed abatement structure. He also said most property tax revenue from the site would flow to school districts and noted ongoing conversations with both Alpine School District and Nebo School District.
Commissioners asked about the status of interconnection studies and the risk to the project if the LGIA is not approved. Demeray acknowledged the LGIA is pending and that the project depends on being able to interconnect; he said the team has received positive studies so far but was awaiting the final study. Commissioners also queried road access and how the project would avoid impacts to county roads; Demeray said county roads would remain in service and the project would follow permit setbacks.
Demeray described the project as "largely de‑risked" with environmental diligence and permits in hand, but repeatedly noted key commercial steps remain (final LGIA and signed offtake agreement). He said the developer would provide additional tax‑structure analysis if the county requested it and that he is willing to work with county staff to develop terms the county and local school districts could accept.
The presentation closed without formal county action on abatement or other incentives; commissioners did not vote on incentives at the meeting. Demeray encouraged follow‑up conversations and provided contact information on his presentation materials.
The commission did not take a formal vote on incentives or approvals during the session. Next procedural steps were left as follow up between the developer and county staff.