CASSATT, S.C. — Two solar farms, Project "Creed" and Project "1802," are being considered for Kershaw County.
"They are going to be solar farms projects. At this point, the county is working with the consultant for the company that's proposed these projects, and we're just going through basically the first steps," said Jeff Burgess, the Kershaw County economic development director.
He said the projects would be in and around Cassatt but couldn't provide the exact location. That's left residents with mixed opinions.
"If it's a smaller thing or somewhere where, if you can't see it, I don't think it's a big deal," resident Joshua Kelly said. "If it's right there on the road and it's an eye sore, I don't think anyone will like that."
"I'm okay with it in our community," said Dean Elliott, the pastor at Cassatt Baptist Church.
Burgess said the project is expected to bring significant revenue to the area.
"Right at $282 million in investment, that's both projects come in investment; the property they are looking at is about $7,000 in taxes a year. With improvements they do on it, it's a $495,000 profit to the county on the revenue, so it's a win-win," he said. "There's not a whole lot of effort in it, and it brings that revenue in the county they can, then disburse."
Based on planning and zoning regulations, solar farms must be 100 feet from all roads' right-of-way, and there must be a 50-foot planted buffer if it's near existing residences. But before any of that can happen, Burgess said many more steps will come.
"At this point, they still have to do several steps: an interconnectivity study with the utility provider, then the power purchase agreement known as the PPA. And that would need to be negotiated between the utility companies. Once they get that part settled, then they come back county, and then we move forward with first, second, third reading," Burgess adds.
Before the project can move forward, planning and zoning officials said there must also be a 15-foot height limitation, mandatory fencing and a glint and glare study to ensure no impact. Officials must also consider a decommissioning plan for when a solar farm is no longer used.