The Evans County Board of Commissioners voted Tuesday, August 4, to approve the proposed Evans Hearn Solar Farm, clearing the way for construction of a utility-scale solar facility on a 198-acre tract off U.S. Highway 280 near Claxton.
Property owner Caughey Hearn presented to the county commissioners Tuesday night based on his partnership with Inman Solar LLC. The negotiations between Hearn and Inman Solar LLC were largely solidified by under the solar ordinance and state law regarding solar farms, local officials must sign off on the project.
Documents submitted as part of the application show the project will place 20,561 photovoltaic solar panels mounted on steel tracking systems across approximately 67 acres of the property, while the remaining acreage will consist of vegetative buffers, setbacks, access roads, and undeveloped land while also considering wetlands. Existing pine stands surrounding portions of the project will remain in place to provide visual screening from neighboring properties.
According to the report, construction is expected to be completed by March 2028.
Decommissioning of Equipment Planned for 2058
Decommission of the project is anticipated in August 2058 based on a planned 30-year operating term.
The application included a specific decommissioning plan on how the facility would be dismantled once the project reaches the end of its operational life. The company anticipates having functional equipment for 40+ years, but the plan outlines what happens in the event that the equipment is removed at the end of the 30-year lease period.
The report, prepared by Inman Solar LLC, estimates the total cost of removing the facility at $637,391. A little more than $484,000 of that is estimated to have salvage value, so the company is planning to have a decommission bond totaling $152,974. The parameters of the decommission are in accordance with Georgia’s solar decommissioning law enacted in 2024 through House Bill 300. The law requires developers to provide financial assurance ensuring that landowners and local governments are not left responsible for removing abandoned solar infrastructure.
What all would be removed?
According to the report, panels retain roughly 80 percent of their original generating capacity after 20 years, meaning they are subject to resale or recycling. Steel support structures, transformers, inverters, electrical wiring, fencing, and concrete foundations would also be removed and transported to approved recycling or disposal facilities.
- 674 metric tons of solar panels
- 461 metric tons of steel racking
- more than 18,000 pounds of above-ground wiring
- 31,000 pounds of electrical equipment
- 60,000 pounds of transformers
- 82,500 pounds of buried aluminum wiring and
- 74,000 pounds of fencing
If the project reaches the end of its useful life prior to the end of the lease, Inman Solar LLC would still be required to disconnect the facility from the electrical grid and remove major infrastructure. The property would have to be restored to the same condition it was before the construction of the solar farm.
Regardless of when decommissioning takes place, the report indicates that dismantling the facility would temporarily increase truck traffic, dust, erosion potential, and construction noise. In response, erosion-control measures would remain in place throughout decommissioning until disturbed areas become stabilized. In total, decommissioning would take roughly 90 days.
Approval
According to the county, Hearn met all of the solar ordinance requirements and the Board of Commissioners approved the application.
