Indefinitely Tabled: Consideration of Solar Farm
The board of directors of N-CORPE was set to meet at 10 a.m. on Monday, February 24, to discuss the potential development of a large solar farm in southern Lincoln County. However, the meeting has been canceled, and no new meetings have been scheduled as of now. General Manager Kyle Shephard informed the Bulletin that the board may revisit the topic next month.
The proposed solar farm aims to generate 242 megawatts of electricity and would require approximately 8,000 acres (equivalent to 33.33 square miles) of land. N-CORPE currently owns over 15,000 acres of pastureland and is responsible for pumping underground water downstream to Kansas. The electricity generated by this solar farm would help offset the energy needs of a planned $750 million fertilizer production facility near Gothenburg, which is expected to produce liquid, “zero-carbon ammonia.” This ammonia fertilizer will be created through the combination of hydrogen and nitrogen using electric current, leveraging a relatively new process known as the Meadowlark Project.
Meadowlark and N-CORPE are currently considering a lease agreement for the land. The output of 242 megawatts would be sufficient to power approximately 75,000 homes and would necessitate around 600,000 solar panels, assuming the panels are high-capacity models at 400 watts each, according to industry sources.
The upcoming meeting on Monday would have continued discussions from the February 19 meeting regarding the solar farm proposal. About 35 attendees participated in that meeting, with more than ten individuals voicing their opinions, most of whom expressed opposition to the project. If an agreement is reached between the two parties, the next step would be to apply for a zoning permit from the Lincoln County Planning Commission and Board of Commissioners.
Up to this point, the project has remained relatively low-profile but has raised several concerns, including the legality of N-CORPE, a tax-supported government entity, pursuing commercial development of the land.
(Note: The article includes comments from readers expressing their views on the project and poses questions about the potential operation of the fertilizer plant and its implications for the power grid. However, for brevity, these comments have not been included in this rewrite.)
Original article by NenPower, If reposted, please credit the source: https://nenpower.com/blog/consideration-of-proposed-solar-farm-indefinitely-postponed-in-lincoln-county/
