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Developer seeks 69% county tax abatement for proposed 1,000‑MW Utah County solar and storage project
Summary
A Boise‑based developer presented plans for Faraday and Goshen Valley projects totaling roughly 1,050 MW of solar and 500 MW of battery storage, estimated at about $2 billion in capital, and asked Utah County for a 69% tax abatement on county property taxes for the first 15 years to make utility power‑purchase agreements feasible.
A representative for Cloumera told the Utah County Board of County Commissioners that the company's Faraday and Goshen Valley projects would add about 1,050 megawatts of solar and roughly 500 megawatts of battery storage and require about $2 billion in capital investment.
The presenter said the company models the long‑term tax contribution at roughly $240 million over a 35‑year lifecycle but asked the county to grant a 69% tax abatement on the county portion of property taxes for the first 15 years to make the project financially viable. "That 69% abatement is absolutely crucial to move forward," the Cloumera representative said, adding the relief is needed so the company can sign competitive power‑purchase agreements with utilities.
Commissioners pressed for detail on the tax modeling and interconnection status. The developer said portions of the Goshen Valley project already have conditional use permits; the Faraday project is negotiating an interconnection agreement with Rocky Mountain Power and is progressing through required system studies. The presenter also said the company has a letter of intent from the Nebo School District to pursue similar tax‑increment financing on the school portion of the tax bill, while Alpine School District has "not given us an indication that they would be moving forward with a tax abatement" this cycle.
One commissioner expressed skepticism about offering abatements. "I tend to not support these things," the commissioner said, noting utility representatives had not told them tax increment financing was required to secure projects. In response, the developer argued that the capital‑intensive nature of solar (high upfront equipment costs, low operating expenses) makes property tax exposure a decisive factor in whether a project can secure a PPA. "Without the tax abatement ... there is a very real chance that this project does not move forward at all," the presenter said.
The presentation included job estimates (the presenter said construction could generate between 500 and 1,000 job‑years, depending on build schedule) and a spreadsheet showing projected county and school tax receipts with and without the proposed abatement. Commissioners asked for the interactive spreadsheet to review assumptions and asked staff to return with additional detail if the commission wants to pursue any formal TIF consideration.
No motion or vote occurred during the work session; the presentation concluded with an offer to share a detailed spreadsheet for commissioner review and follow‑up meetings.
