WALLS, Miss. : A solar farm is headed to Desoto County, according to Northern District Public Service Commissioner, Brandon Presley.
Presley tweeted Friday that he approved a $90-million facility in Walls, MS.
The solar farm will produce power to benefit Toyota’s Blue Springs facility. According to Presley, it will help the automaker meet their energy goal.
A public hearing was held Thursday night at the Desoto County Courthouse. Citizens were allowed to ask questions and voice their concerns about the project.
550 acres of farmland west of Walls is considered a prime site by California based Clearway Energy Group for it’s Wildfire Solar Farm. District 3 Supervisor Ray Denison said the solar farm along Old Highway 61 near Sanders Road will yield big tax benefits.
“It’s going to be a piece of land that will generate approximately $400,000 in taxes to DeSoto County for practically no investment on our part…as far as infrastructure,” Denison said.
He expects about $250,000 of that to go to local Desoto County schools.
Operators of the solar farm have agreed to planting vegetation around the site to make it less visible and have assured two home owners in the middle of the site that their property values will not be negatively impacted.
“Both houses had recently been sold and the people buying them are fully aware…there was full disclosure that there would be a solar farm wrapping around that property and they were fine with that,” Denison said.
Clearway Energy Group’s Head of External Affairs Barry Matchett said the company is proud to invest in the community.
“The Wildflower solar project will generate economic activity and create good jobs to DeSoto County. We’re proud to invest in the community and bring long-term clean energy investments to the Magnolia State,” he said.
Wildflower Solar LLC petitioned the Public Service Commission to build a 100-megawatt facility on 550 acres near Walls in August 2021.
Construction is slated to begin in mid 2022 with some 800 to 900 workers on site.
Source: wreg
