Ovid solar farm hearing Oct. 4 before township planning commission

OVID TWP. — Final solar farm designs are finished in compliance with an Ovid Township solar ordinance.

At 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 4, the Ovid Township Planning Commission will host a public hearing at the Angola Road township hall to consider a special land use request for the Coldwater River Solar project.

Brian O'Shea, director of public engagement for developer Apex Clean Energy, said engineers moved set back distances from solar panels to 250 feet from 100 feet for participating land owners, as required by ordinance.The company also obtained state permits to bore connection lines under Coldwater River. Some panels at the southwest corner are across a wetland flood plain.

Ovid and Coldwater township designs were formed by feedback from the community, O'Shea said.

"We think we've got a strong project that should meet everyone's expectation and be a net benefit to the entire area," he said.

The final design was based on input from neighbors, landowners and townships regarding several factors, including how tall the panels can be, to what kind of plantings and trees are used, O'Shea said.

After requests from Pheasants Forever to make the solar farms adaptable for wildlife, O'Shea said, "We're going to fund at least $150,000 toward a local conservation project focused on grassland birds. Pheasants will probably be a large part of that. Where exactly that's going to be, and who will be involved? We're not that far yet."

Most Michigan proposed generation projects are waiting for grid manager Midcontinent Independent System Operator to issue reports regarding cost to connect to the power system. A decision about the 2019 requests is due this month. Apex then can sign a connection agreement.International Transmission Company built an extensive grid system in Branch County due to Coldwater Board of Public Utilities projects.

Ovid solar Ovid solar unvails plans

"Our hope is then to move into construction late next year with the project completed, operating, and generating clean electricity by the end of 2024," O'Shea said.

Apex is not ready to disclose if it sold the power from the solar farm.

Apex held a meeting Sept 26 at Coldwater Township Hall with interested local contractors who might bid on parts of the work. A half-dozen people attended.

With 60% in Ovid Township and 40% in Coldwater Township, it's a 150-megawatt project with 945 fenced acres. That powers about 27,000 homes, O'Shea said.

Apex leased 571 acres in Coldwater Township and has 1,109 acres under lease in Ovid Township to allow for setbacks on required infrastructure.

Subscribe Keep up to date on area solar projects. Subscribe to the Daily Reporter

The project mostly fits south of Garfield Road between Sanford and Fillmore Roads. It stops north of the Coldwater River, north of Central Road. A substation will sit along Sanford Road between Fenn and Stickney Road next to a grid line. Only one small plot is east of Fillmore Road in Ovid.

Fencing and grading solar panels sites would begin first with gravel access roads constructed.

Many solar projects are stalled because of a lack of solar panels due to production problems overseas during the COVID-19 pandemic.

O'Shea said, "Our company does projects all across the country and has a pretty strong procurement operation. We are making sure in this day and age those supplies are available and that we're ready to go into construction when the time comes."

The regular Ovid Township Planning Commission meeting will immediately follow the Apex presentation.

— Contact Don Reid: dReid@Gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter: @DReidTDR.

This article originally appeared on Coldwater Daily Reporter: Ovid Township Planning Commission to hold hearing on solar farm