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Pawnee County approves Kinsley Solar agreements and confirms conditional use permit
Summary
Pawnee County Commissioners approved termination of a prior PILOT, new PILOT and contribution agreements with Kinsley Solar, LLC, and adopted Resolution 2026-R-010 for a 150-MW solar and 200-MW battery project in Keysville Township; motions passed unanimously after Commissioner Rein joined by phone.
Pawnee County Commissioners on May 11 approved a set of agreements and a resolution that clear the way for the Kinsley Solar power and battery storage project in Keysville Township.
County Attorney Doug McNett told the board he drafted both Payment in Lieu of Tax (PILOT) and Contribution Agreements and cited K.S.A. 12-148 and K.S.A. 72-1142 when explaining the legal mechanics. McNett said a contribution (donation) to a school district would not reduce the district’s state funding, while a PILOT payment could be treated by the state in a way that reduces state aid to a district. "A contribution would give the County more control over how those dollars are distributed," McNett said.
Mike Roth, vice-president and senior project development director for Tenaska, presented a Notice of Change in Ownership and Controlling Interest for Kinsley Storage Project, LLC, and said that the contracts previously signed would follow the successor entity. Roth said Tenaska had no objection to whether the payment would be structured as a PILOT or a contribution and asked that the County decide distribution mechanics. "We have no issues with either payment," Roth said.
Commissioners approved the termination of an earlier Payment in Lieu of Tax Agreement with Kinsley Storage Project, LLC; they then approved a new Payment in Lieu of Tax Agreement and a separate Contribution Agreement for Kinsley Solar, LLC. The board also adopted Resolution 2026-R-010, confirming the conditional use permit for the 150-megawatt solar generation and 200-megawatt battery storage project. All Tenaska-related motions passed by a 3-0 vote after Commissioner Rein joined the meeting by telephone.
Roth told commissioners Sunflower Electric may be ready to work on the substation in fall 2027, with Tenaska’s build phase in spring 2027. Roth said he would email County Attorney McNett the expected number of solar panels for the project.
