San Angelo
hosted the Wind and Solar Expo 2016 August 30-31. Southwest Energy Coalition put on the event. Their webpage posted presentations, two of which dealt with OE Renewables solar farm on city property. The Chamber of Commerce had one slide (shown above).
OE Renewables had six slides dealing with the project. Number 10 on the list below is negotiate potential tax abatements. An August 2015 report by
San Angelo Live stated OE Renewables staff "hope to negotiate local tax incentives provided by Tom Green County and the City of San Angelo." The city capitulated last year,
providing $583,814 in incentives.
Tom Green County Commissioners heard a proposal on October 27, 2015. The minutes state:
15. Discussion, consideration and action on the designation of the
County Reinvestment Zone made the subject of the public hearing to be
known as “OneEnergy Renewables Tom Green County Reinvestment Zone”.
Moved to Table #15 and reset a Public Hearing due to use of the term unincorporated in the agenda item.
The issue concerning County Commissioners was "If you sell the improvements will the tax abatement convey with the sell
or would it have to come back to court for the new ownership."
Oddly there is no information on OE Renewables success in marketing solar power to energy users hoping to lock in prices for decades.
As for buyers of this renewable energy, OneEnergy contracts with
utilities, corporations, governmental entities and universities because
of contract longevity. The company offers contract terms from 10 years
to 25 years or more.
Other slides are shown below:
The expo also had a presentation from Goodfellow Air Force base, which is planning its own solar generating project across the street from the base.
That's one customer OE Renewables would love to have. Goodfellow could utilize half to all of the power from the Mesquite Solar Farm.
OE Renewables is developing the Mesquite Solar Project with hopes to sell it to investors wanting a predictable income stream. The math depends on public subsidies and paying customers. The presentation is light on both, meaning OE Renewables is keeping its cards close to its chest or the project remains up in the air.
Update 1-14-17: Still no sign of progress on the project. A search of San Angelo on OneEnergy's website produces no results.
Update 8-17-18: OE Renewables failed to produce more than slides on the San Angelo solar project. City Council
will declare the deal dead in their 8-21-18 Council meeting.
