Council approves inducement resolutions for two solar projects, reads fee-in-lieu title for $500M project
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Summary
Greenwood County adopted inducement resolutions to negotiate incentives for Project Apollo (about $100M) and Project Muskogee (about $500M). Council also read the fee-in-lieu title for Project Muskogee (first reading only); staff said detailed agreement terms will be negotiated before later readings.
Greenwood County Council on Jan. 6 adopted inducement resolutions that authorize staff to negotiate economic incentives for two proposed utility-scale solar projects.
James Bateman, representing the county27s economic-development team, told the council the inducement resolutions are the statutory vehicle that allows the county to enter discussions and later formalize incentives in a fee-in-lieu-of-taxes (FILOT) agreement. Resolution 2026-03 would induce Project Apollo, described in the meeting as a roughly $100 million solar investment. Resolution 2026-04 would induce Project Muskogee, described as a roughly $500 million solar investment.
Bateman explained that inducement does not finalize incentive terms but permits negotiation of a FILOT and related special-source revenue credits. For Project Muskogee staff read the title of the fee-in-lieu agreement into the record for a first reading; Bateman said staff expects a pause between first and second reading while the agreement details are negotiated and prepared for subsequent council action.
Council members moved and seconded the inducement resolutions; motions carried. Questions from council focused on procedure and timing. Council members said inducement is customary and necessary to move forward with potential large-scale economic-development projects; staff emphasized that the inducement is preliminary and that specific payment or tax terms will be presented to council in the future for approval.
No concrete FILOT numbers, tax-equivalent figures or employment guarantees were included in the inducement resolutions read at the meeting; the transcript records that those details will be negotiated and returned to council for later action.