As Wagoner County Commissioners prepare to vote next week on a controversial 4,900-acre solar farm near the northeast Oklahoma town of Porter, some residents have responded with their study of claims made by developer NextEra Energy.
The more than 30-page report by Concerned Citizens of Wagoner County is described as “a detailed rebuttal to multiple claims made by NextEra Energy regarding the proposed 4,900-acre Persica Solar Energy Center.” It suggests the true impact of the proposed solar farm has not been admitted by NextEra and that the renewable energy company has not been entirely truthful in its presentation to county officials and residents.
The report also asked Wagoner County Commissioners to be diligent in their decision and to release all environmental and hydrological assessments, reviews and emergency response capacity.
“The scale and potential consequences of this development merit full public transparency, not piecemeal oversight.”
The project, according to NextEra, will result in 300 construction jobs but once finished, it will only employ three to four full-time workers.
Authors of the report say they drew on peer-reviewed research, legal documentation, firstand accounts and industry precendents to highlight “serious concerns about environmental risk, land use disruption, community transparency and regulatory circumvention.”
They claim their findings challenge the narrative that the project will result in minimal impact “and instead reveal a pattern of incomplete disclosures, conditional commitments and practices that may undermine public trust and long-term land health.”
“Contrary to NextEra Energy’s assurances, the report documents how utility-scale solar installations —particularly those spanning thousands of acres—alter hydrology, increase flood risk, disrupt soil regeneration and pose unique risks to wildlife and habitat connectivity. The project’s proximity to the Arkansas River, within FEMA-designated floodplains, further heightens concern, especially as the developer seeks to self-model flood elevations in Zone A without third-party review,” stated the report.
The authors and others who back the report contended they discovered “gaps in transparency and accountability” and also concluded that no environmental studies have been pubilcly released despite multiple community requests. Using open records requests, they found internal communications and permit inquiries suggesting “an intention to initiate site-altering activities, potentially prior to any sort of approval.”
The report took issue with NextEra’s claims that the solar farm would have low impacts on the land and and allow the land to remain in ag use.
“–a statement declaring the land can remain in ag use is misleading if not false, and is a blatant attempt to deceive the public and the County by NextEra Energy’s own writings,” charged the authors.
The opponents further claimed in their report, “There is no guarantee the power generated in Porter, OK will be delivered to households and businesses of the area. Thus, ambitions of an economic boom resulting from this project are greatly discouraged. In fact, there is supporting documentation to suggest power generated at the Persica Solar Energy Center will be sold for transmission outside of the Southwest Power
Pool. This power is likely destined for the Midcontinent Independent System Operator who can serve as a bridge to Southeastern Regional Transmission Planning, which covers data center rich Memphis, TN, Huntsville, AL and Atlanta, GA.”
Another claim from the report charged that “NextEra Energy finds difficulty in following the law, even when the company has a say in the language for measures of compliance. Whether it is respecting property boundaries, obtaining work permits or preserving wildlife, adhering to the rules is a tough ask of this company. The pattern clearly repeats itself, and it is astonishing as to why local officials continue to allow NextEra Energy to do business in their county and state.”
The report also contended there is legitimate concern for pollution via herbicidal drift, dust, sediment buildup in waterways, contaminants in the soiland the overall ecological impact of the project.
The vote by Wagoner County commissioners will be held on Monday, June 16.
