HENRY COUNTY, Mo. — Residents in Henry County are frustrated about a new solar farm being built in their backyard.
Beavertail Solar LLC, a subsidiary of Ranger Power LLC, will be a 5,000-acre operation in Davis and Walker townships.
The solar farm will generate 400 megawatts of electricity and power Google’s new data center in Kansas City, Missouri's Northland.
Meanwhile, people living there are worried it will disrupt their way of life and create environmental concerns for the predominantly agricultural area.
Residents said the county commission’s decision to approve this project lacked transparency and public input, like Robert Branson's.
Branson and his wife bought their farmland in Henry County four years ago. They moved there because they fell in love with the peaceful farming community.
"If somebody wants to come out here for a country life, they’re not gonna want to step out their front door and be blinded by solar panels instead of green grass," Branson said.
Aesthetics aside, he is worried about the impact on wildlife and his property value.
"Everybody says, 'Well, what about all the benefit that they are gonna be getting from the solar company?' Well, 'What about the subtraction we’re gonna lose from all the farming?'" Branson said.
KSHB 41 reached out to Henry County for more information on its decision to approve this project.
County Clerk Rick Watson provided an in-depth timeline of the project's progress and how it got to this point.
Back in 2018, representatives of Ranger Power met with the Henry County Commission to express their desire for this project.
They shared that their interest in Henry County was due to the transmission lines still at that location.
Henry County does not have planning and zoning restrictions. The commission responded, saying they would not interfere with the rights of land owners and their right to contract with the company as they wish.
Years later, Ranger Power met with the commission again and shared that they had acquired enough land through contracts with numerous landowners of both Walker and Davis townships.
Soon after, Ranger Power asked the commission to sign a Chapter 100 agreement (RSMo 100).
It would exempt the company from personal property taxes but require a Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT).
PILOT funds are distributed to the various taxing entities in which the project is located, such as the school district, townships, health department, library and others.
The commission and Ranger Power LLC agreed on a $1.1 million deal, with a 2.5% annual escalator, for 25 years.
Plus, the county will receive $100,000 with a 2.5% annual escalator to administer the Chapter 100 agreement.
In addition to a Chapter 100 agreement, the commission required a road use agreement, which requires Ranger Power to repair any roads or culverts damaged during construction.
Also included in the agreement is a decommissioning agreement to guarantee rthe emoval of all equipment when the term of the solar farm is complete.
"I ran on transparency because there is none," said Henry County Commissioner-elect Mark Larson.
Two county commissioners were voted out because of the tax abatement issue. Larson will be stepping in.
"You’re coming into an area, asking them to put up with something and to use their land — pay for it," Larson said. "Once those heavy metals are in the ground, there's nothing you can do about it."
Ranger Power LLC provided KSHB 41 a statement regarding environmental concerns.
"Solar energy is one of the lowest-impact forms of energy production, having existed in the U.S. for more than 50 years. The Beavertail Solar Project has undergone extensive environmental studies and consultation with federal and state agencies to avoid impacts to sensitive habitats or wildlife, including the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, and the Missouri Department of Conservation.”
"If you're gonna fall for that, we're not real smart," Larson said. "Why didn’t we do that ourselves? As the county, have someone come in and do an impact study that is not biased."
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KSHB 41 anchor/reporter JuYeon Kim covers agricultural issues and the fentanyl crisis. Share your story idea with JuYeon.