Origis Energy USA Inc. will choose a new location for a 50-MW solar and battery storage project in Florida in response to concerns from the historically Black community where Origis planned to build the facility.
Miami-based Origis said June 6 that it would withdraw its application for the FL Solar 6 Park Sand Bluff & BESS project in Alachua County, acknowledging concerns from adjoining property owners in Archer, Fla. Origis said it has not chosen an alternative location for the project but plans to study sites "compatible with the landscape and the community."
"We are proud to say that after months of listening to and working with the community behind the scenes, we have found a solution," Origis Energy Chief Commercial and Procurement Officer Johan Vanhee said.
Alachua County commissioners voted in July 2021 not to allow the company to build the solar farm outside Archer, according to a report by The Gainesville (Fla.) Sun. The project was expected to connect to an existing Gainesville Regional Utilities substation and would not have served the adjoining neighborhood. The project was opposed by the city, the local NAACP chapter, the Sierra Club and residents critical of the company's outreach efforts.
"In response to last year's events, we are redoubling our efforts to live up to our high standards for community engagement while we work to preserve and protect every local community we partner with," Vanhee said. "We're really pleased we have a chance to move forward with the project and to continue our work with the community on a win-win solution that will bring affordable and reliable clean renewable energy to Alachua County. Rest assured that moving forward, we are here to actively engage and communicate with the community as we relaunch this project."
Archer resident Jeraldine McMillan said in a statement released by Origis that the agreement between the company and local residents will preserve the character and nature of the historic, rural Black community while embracing solar development in a "more compatible location."
Loretha Cleveland, an Archer property owner, was quoted as saying the community hopes the agreement will set a precedent for future projects to uphold higher standards of community engagement "to maintain respect and positive development for all involved parties."
The project, which includes a 12-MW battery storage component, is expected to begin operating in 2024.
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