(KLST/KSAN)– Schleicher County Commissioners cleared the way for what would be the county’s first solar farm. The 12 Mile Solar project is slated for more than 3,400 acres near County Road 245.
“So they pay a known figure for a set number of years to the taxing entity to the agreement that they made and then after that 10 years,” Schleicher County Judge Charles Bradley. “Usually the depreciation on that has occurred, so they don’t go low on a certain amount of depreciation and value is given and they pay taxes on that value.”
Schleicher County Judge Charles Bradley said adding a solar farm to the area would be beneficial.
He said the project would bring in construction workers to build the solar farm, in turn, this could bring in revenue to El Dorado.
“Which is probably a large amount of workers,” Judge Bradley said. “They gotta have a place to stay, they need a place primarily to eat, restaurants the grocery store sales tax gas, gotta buy gas fuel”
As far as the community itself, bringing in the solar farm could create jobs and economic opportunities.
“Those people may choose to live in El Dorado, so they’ll probably choose to buy a house or rent a house, they’re kids maybe go to school here which would bring attendance at school up a little bit,” Judge Bradley said.
Before that can happen, the company has to commit to building. Judge Bradley said two other companies have been granted the same agreement in the past.
“We have granted, but at this time neither one of those projects have started construction,” Judge Bradley said.
The county is hopeful to see this solar project built in the near future.