New Madrid County solar project to deliver $24 million in local tax re...
PORTAGEVILLE, Mo. — By year’s end, New Madrid County will join the ranks of those providing clean, renewable solar energy.
Philip Tiemann, project developer for NextEra Energy Resources, provided an update on the New Madrid Solar Project during an appreciation luncheon Tuesday, July 15, thanking vendors and others for their support.
Construction began last year on the facility, after NextEra Energy signed lease agreements with some 10 New Madrid County landowners to create the 1,600-acre site, located off of Highway 62. In addition, the company has signed a decommissioning agreement with the New Madrid County Commission.
The construction has provided some 250 jobs, Tiemann said, with many of those individuals hired locally. Moss Construction Co. of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, the project’s contractor, also provided some specialized talent for construction.
When completed in December, New Madrid Solar will be comprised of more than 448,000 solar panels and 283 miles of collection cables. It will generate up to 200 megawatts in solar energy, according to Tiemann.
“There is definitely a demand for all types of renewable (energy),” he added, noting the company has already signed a power-purchase agreement with a customer for the power produced in New Madrid County.
But the benefits aren’t just in the clean energy produced by solar, Tiemann said. The approximately $320 million investment in the county is expected to provide $800,000 in annual property taxes or about $24 million over the 30-year-life of the project.
“Our project will bring a lot of tax dollars to the local county,” Tiemann said. “We have a Chapter 100 in place which is the local tax abatement process that the state uses. That ensures that all of the tax revenue generated by the project stays within the county and supports first responders and the schools.”
Jacob Johnson, New Madrid County assessor, was among those attending the Tuesday gathering. Johnson said he was interested in learning more about the project and its benefits.
“We are happy to have the new tax revenues coming in to the county,” Johnson said. “This will really help the schools in New Madrid County.”
When operational, New Madrid Solar project will employ two to three people full-time to oversee site management and maintenance.
NextEra Energy has been developing solar facilities for 30 years and working in Missouri for the past decade.
In addition to New Madrid Solar, construction started in June on a solar project in Cape Girardeau County with completion expected in 2026. Additionally an operations and maintenance building will be located in Sikeston to serve the solar projects in New Madrid and Cape Girardeau counties.
“It is really exciting to have Missouri house our projects,” Tiemann said. “We are grateful to be your neighbors.”