The North Platte Planning Commission on Nov. 25 recommended approval of a conditional-use permit for a commercial solar farm proposed by Premier Energy LLC and Jay Bull LLC at the intersection of Victoria Lane and East State Farm Road.

Planning staff reviewed the application and said the site is compatible with surrounding industrial and agricultural uses and that the application includes a decommissioning plan. Jeff Cook Coyle, chief project development officer for Premier Energy, told the commission the company will not proceed without key conditions in place: “We were not gonna move forward without a conditional use permit,” and also said an interconnection agreement and an offtaker to buy power are among the preconditions the developer requires.

Commissioners and staff pressed on economics and ownership. Tony Miller, utility manager for North Platte Municipal Light and Water, told the commission, “There is no contract at this time,” when asked whether the city or another entity had committed to buy power from the proposed facility. Miller and others explained the city could either own a project or purchase power under an agreement, and that developers typically rely on estimates that can change with construction costs.

The application says the facility would generate solar power to deliver to the municipal sub-transmission system; the developer said construction would last about three months and that operations would not generate significant daily vehicle traffic. The developer also said the project includes a decommissioning plan and proposed financial assurances (bond or escrow) to cover removal when the facility reaches the end of its useful life. The applicant told the commission the typical project life is roughly 40 years, with inverters replaced about every 15 years and 25-year power purchase agreements common in the industry.

Commissioners asked whether the city would be obliged to pay to interconnect the facility to the distribution system; the developer said interconnection and most construction costs were included in the project plan and, as presented, would be the developer’s responsibility. Questions were raised about rate impacts: staff noted some materials assert the project will reduce wholesale purchases, while other comments and press reporting suggest costs could be higher for end users.

The commission voted 8–1 to recommend approval, with the item forwarded to the City Council for final consideration on Dec. 30.