Bell County approves new solar farm agreements

Killeen Daily Herald
BY SHANE MONACO | TELEGRAM STAFF
May 3, 2023

The topic of solar energy once again flashed through Bell County as officials reestablished a tax abatement agreement for the Big Elm Storage Project near Troy.

Two agreements related to the project were unanimously approved Monday as multiple landowners came out to voice either their support or opposition. The first agreement was to terminate the existing abatement, while the second reestablished a payment in lieu of taxes agreement with Apex Clean Energy, which is behind the project.

County Judge David Blackburn said in February the county received a request from Apex Clean Energy to change the commercial operations date of the original agreement to December of 2024 instead of the original March of 2022.

“After some discussion with our consultant … there was some discussion as to whether or not we simply needed to amend the existing agreement or terminate the agreement and execute a new agreement,” Blackburn said. “Out of an abundance of caution, his guidance was for a new agreement as opposed to amending the existing agreement.”

Many of those who came out Monday to protest the solar farm lived along Arthur Cemetery Road, just east of Troy, with their properties bordering the project.

David Reynolds, who owns a property where his mother lives along Arthur Cemetery Road, said he was opposed to the project but has felt his opinions have fallen on deaf ears.

While he is opposed to the project, Reynolds said since the project will most likely move forward he wanted the commissioners to increase the setback line for where the solar panels would go. Many who spoke Monday had this concern due to the safety concerns surrounding the lithium batteries that would be stored on site.

“Is the Troy Volunteer Fire Department capable of helping with that, is the Temple fire department capable?” Reynolds asked. “Is anyone capable of fighting a fire of a lightning strike that may happen and start a lithium battery fire?”

Officials noted that the new agreement does provide a setback line for the solar panels of 500 feet from any structure and screening for structures that are closer than that distance.

At the meeting, Commissioner Bill Schumann argued that it was a good thing for the surrounding landowners that the body was adopting the new agreement.

The Big Elm project, Schumann said, was one of the first solar farm agreements that the county approved and since then officials have learned more about what they need out the companies that they partner with.

“With this new agreement the covenants come up to what our current standards are,” Schumann said. “Those standards change as the group identifies things that need to be addressed or changes, we incorporate those into the covenants.”

Schumann also pointed out that, for those with concerns about fires at the battery storage, many local fire departments have already received training on how to handle those incidents.

Apex Clean Energy, Schumann said, hosted a class for fire department officials from Troy, Temple, Moffat, Rogers and Killeen.

Jade Doss, a member of the Texas Land and Liberty Coalition, spoke Monday in favor of the solar project on behalf of her organization.

Projects such as the Big Elm Solar Project, Doss said, are beneficial to not only the landowners but to the county where they generate tax revenue.

“Bell County has a very diverse energy portfolio that indicates to the entire state of Texas that you are open for business,” Doss said. “As a young family we see the benefits of battery storage and renewable energy as well, just to add more megawatts to the grid and resiliency to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas.”