A solar project in Cass County has now received a certificate of “Continuing Suitability” from the North Dakota Public Service Commission.
The Harmony Solar project was first given the go-ahead by the PSC in 2019. It would be a 200 megawatt project, and would cost around $320 million.
"This is basically an approval of an order we approved a few years ago, when their permit had expired," Fedorchak said. "We've gone through an informal with them, and I believe they continue to meet the criteria for this permit."
The Commission’s vote was unanimous. Commission chairman Randy Christmann had voted against the first permit in 2019. And he said he was guided by the siting laws, that said the PSC should consider prime farmland when siting such projects. He says that law has changed.
"I sided more with the values from the 70s, when North Dakotans valued the prime farmland, and our ability to feed the nation and world, even more than private property rights," Christmann said. "Nowadays, our society has evolved. We don't value our ability to produce food as much as we do our ability to make good money."
In a letter to Cass County Commissioners, Harmony Solar said it plans to start construction in mid 2025 or early 2026, with a goal of having the project in-service by 2028.
