Company working on 5th tax abatement proposal for Pepper Hammock Renewable Power Project
NAHUNTA — Brantley County’s Board of Commissioners will now await a fifth proposal for a tax abatement concerning a proposed 2,500acre solar farm site along Hwy. 32 between Hortense and Browntown.
Vice President of Development Greg Vander Kamp made the announcement “we have decided to table our request for a tax abatement until we have a better indication of project cost and our minimal abatement needs” to county commissioners during the Tuesday, May 3 work session.
The upcoming proposal for the Pepper Hammock Renewable Power Project follows four previous 20-year tax abatement proposals with varying splits between BrightNight and the county which have not been acted upon by commissioners.
“The target has been moving,” said County Manager Joey Cason. “The commissioner’s have never made any commitment to BrightNight.”
According to Cason, the original request from BrightNight was a 20-year, level payment with 70 percent to BrightNight and 30% to Brantley County. The 30% would have been split between the county commission and the school board.
The next verbal commitment, according to Cason, was a 60/40 split with the county getting 40% over 20 years.
Cason said BrightNight came back a couple of months ago and changed the request to 80/20. With this split, Bright-Night mentioned they would do some other work in the community through a foundation.
The most recent proposal was an 80/20 request with higher numbers stating they would include having a major battery storage facility on the land.
During the work session, Vander Kamp, joined by three other officials with BrightNight, requested the company’s application for a special exception be placed on the next Board of Commissioners agenda so they could have assurances of local support for the project and justify continued investment and development of the Pepper Hammock Renewable Power Project.
“We are committed to addressing concerns related to decommissioning, landscaping, and have submitted draft conditions binding us to these commitments in our special exception application regarding decommissioning,” said Vander Kamp during his five-minute public participation. “We are obligated by Georgia state law to put in place a $10 million bond that acts as an insurance policy covering all costs to decommission and disassemble and remove all project facilities at the end of its useful life, no matter what happens to Bright-Night.”
According to Vander Kamp, the project is represented by dozens of different stakeholders of which several were in attendance.
“Wayne County has already approved the project’s permit,” he said, “and, there’s interest in the support in this community of seeing this solar project moved forward. Three of our participating landowners have written letters of support, which I have included in your packets.
“We feel Pepper Hammock Solar brings a unique, once in a lifetime opportunity for Brantley County. The project is located in a rural part of the county, with the closest resident living over a third of a mile away from the nearest solar panel.
“The project does not emit any noise or light and is a silent neighbor. It is located more than 400 feet north off of Highway 32. It will be completely screened from view and drivers won’t even know it’s there when driving past.
“Not only will the project bring hundreds of high paying construction jobs and add additional energy security to southeast Georgia’s electrical grid, it will also bring long term stable new property tax revenue to Brantley County at an average of at least $1.3 million a year for the next 40 years.”
Vander Kamp added the project won’t cost the county one red cent. The project doesn’t require water, sewer, housing or any other burdens on county services.
Also, according to Vander Kamp, if there was a bankruptcy or the company abandoned the project, the $10 million security bond and decommissioning security is the insurance policy to remove all facilities. The county would not be left with with a project to deal with.
The $1.3 million in new property taxes represents a 20 percent increase to the county’s total property tax revenues on an annual basis, according to Vander Kamp.
“This is nearly equivalent to all the general sales tax collected in the county in total on an annual basis,” Vander Kamp said. “We want to move this project forward and help make a meaningful contribution to Brantley County’s future.”
Additionally, the company is offering other additional incentives. BrightNight has offered to purchase a new water truck for the Waynesville Fire Department, provide vital training services for emergency personnel in the area, establish a charitable foundation with $100,000 annual contributions going directly to the community and work with the county school system to create new educational opportunities with STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) programs and potentially scholarship opportunities.
