NextEra Energy Resources isn’t giving up the fight to locate a 5,000-acre solar farm in northeast Oklahoma’s Wagoner County near the town of Porter.
The company, using the name of its proposed solar farm, Persica Solar, LLC, filed a challenge of the Wagoner County Commission’s late June vote of 3-0 to deny a conditional use permit for the project. Filed in Wagoner County District Court, the appeal chaerged that the Board of County Commissioners “denial of Persica’s Application for Conditional Use Permit was unfounded under the facts and circumstances and the Conditional Use Permit should be properly issued to Persica.”
The Petition for Judicial Review, as it was called, was filed June 26 by Jim Roth, former Oklahoma Corporation Commissioner now with the Phillips Murrah law firm in Oklahoma City.
The challenge also contended, “At each of the five public Board of County Commissioners meetings, the BOCC allowed protesters to make claims and statements without being sworn under oath or providing evidence to suupport the claims and statements.”
The county commission’s unanimous decision was made June 16. However, the Wagoner County Planning & Zoning Department provided a report to the Wagoner County Metropolitan Area Planning Commission “recommending approval of Persica’s Conditional Use Permit.” But the Wagoner MAPC ultimately recommended the county commissioners deny the request made by Persica.
Persica also challenged the MAPC recommendation to the Board of County Commissioners and it was discussed at a county commission meeting on Feb. 3, 2025. The county commissioners tabled a decision on Feb. 10, again until March 10, again to June 9 and finally tabled to June 16 when they finally made a decision.
Persica pointed out in its appeal to the courts that at each of the meetings, Feb. 3, Feb. 10, March 10, June 9 and June 16, its company representatives were on hand.
“While some attended for the purpose of objecting, numerous supporters, including encouraging landowners, attended these meetings to communicate their backing of the development of the Persica Solar Energy Center Project.”
As reported by Solar Cell USA, the solar farm faced “uncertainty amid public backlash” after the June 16 decision. The solar energy news provider pointed out how Porter State Rep. Julie McIntosh was among those who opposed the project as she “highlighted the worries e xpressed by her constituents regarding sustainability practices linked to overseas sourcing of solar components, particularly from countries like China, which currently leads in the U.S. solar panel imports.”
Solar Cell USA also pointed out that the project had the support of Rep. Mark Chapman of Broken Arrow, a member of the Oklahoma House Utilities Committee. He urged approval and emphasized its potential to booster clean energy production in Oklahoma.
Persica’s proposal said the photovoltaic solar arrays would be capable for generating up to 241,7 megawatts of clean and renewable energy and sit on 4,650 acres. The project was also scheduled to begin operations by December 2027.
NextEra Energy Resources claimed that if the project were to be approved, it would generate nearly $31 million in tax revenue over the lifetime of its operations.
