Sterling changes course to support solar farm at McCue and LeFevre roads

STERLING – A scaled-down solar project appears to be moving forward near Sterling, where the City Council and owner of the land on which the solar farm would sit have inked a pre-annexation agreement that includes the city sending a letter of support to the Whiteside County Board to get a final OK.

The Sterling City Council on Monday approved the pre-annexation agreement for land owned by Bill Hermes of TN Hermes at McCue and West LeFevre roads, where Nexamp Solar LLC wants to build the LeFevre Road Solar Project.

Nexamp initially proposed constructing a 5-megawatt solar farm using 28 acres of a 42-acre parcel of prime farmland at that location. However, business development manager Jack Curry, who represented both Nexamp and Hermes at the meeting Monday, said Hermes wishes to keep as much of the land for farming as possible. As a result, the project has been scaled down to a 4-megawatt solar farm on 25 acres, leaving 12 to 14 acres for farming.

Sterling City Manager Scott Schumard said the city initially hoped to use the land for future industrial development westward. However, Hermes does not want industrial development on the site in the future, and his wishes have forced the city to shift their focus elsewhere, Schumard said.

“The property owners have a very clear line and path of succession for their properties,” Curry said. “They have agricultural priorities for all of them. Solar stood out to them because it’s a way to preserve their property. We only have a lease on these properties, meaning that at the end of our lease, it has to be returned to farmland. So, that was very important to the property owners.”

Nexamp zoning attorney Nick Standiford hopes the pre-annexation agreement will be a “win-win” for both sides.

“We wanted to have an easement for utilities that would be needed to develop that area once the solar farm is gone,” Standiford said. “So we would allow an easement along LeFevre Road as long as it didn’t interfere with any of the solar activities. In exchange, we are asking for a letter of support for the project that we could take to Whiteside County.”

Sterling Mayor Diana Merdian signed a letter of approval at the end of the meeting but said the company still will need the Whiteside County Board’s approval for a special-use permit, which Nexamp already has applied for. Whiteside County Board Vice Chairman Kurt Glazier said Nexamp first will need to present its case before a zoning hearing officer, a public works committee and then an executive committee before finally reaching the County Board for approval.

Curry said the project, if it proceeds, is estimated to garner $14,000 in tax revenues for Sterling in its first year and more than $278,000 during its 40-year lifetime.

“That’s one benefit the city can expect,” Curry said. “Second would be the opportunity for community solar subscriptions among residents. Any residential homeowner or small business can subscribe and receive credits on their utility bills, realizing approximately 10% to 15% savings on those bills. Additionally, Sterling can expect a long-term preservation method of farmland.”

Curry also discussed another project benefit: Nexamp’s Clean Energy Catalyst program, a three-week, hands-on job training for those without solar construction experience.

“It’s basically a fellowship,” Curry said. “Nexamp provides them rotational training throughout the construction and engineering process, the end of which typically yields a job offer to be a full-time construction employee.”

Despite those benefits, Schumard said that by annexing that parcel of land, it also would require the city to start maintaining the adjacent roads, including pavement maintenance, plowing, salting and more.

“Depending on the taxes generated, this may or may not be worth the revenue generated,” Schumard said. “Because the property where the proposed solar is not immediately adjacent, the city would also need to annex the parcel at the northeast corner of Fourth Street. This would add nearly a mile of road maintenance, making it difficult to justify maintenance without prospects of further development near the area.”