By Arri McDonald

Wednesday evening, January 30, 2024, Representatives from Arevon Energy Inc. hosted an informational open house at the Otwell Community Center to inform the public about the next phases in construction of the Ratts 1 Solar project in the Dutchtown community in northeastern Pike County. Here is what we have learned is planned for 2024:

• Tenaska and Capital Dynamics are no longer associated with the Ratts 1 project which is now owned by Arevon Energy Inc., a renewable energy company out of Arizona

• Tree removal is expected to begin later in the month of February of 2024

• Site construction is expected to begin in April 2024 and run through early 2025, when the approximate 1,200 acre project is scheduled to completion; Approximately one year from now the project is expected to be operational

• Peak construction activity is expected in Summer months 2024 with approximately 350 construction workers employed; Once construction is complete, 4 permanent jobs will be associated with the project

• Dutchtown road aka County Road 500 East to the north of the intersection with State Road 356 is going be used exclusively to access the construction site which begins approximately one mile north on 500 East from its intersection with S.R. 356

• Traffic in the Dutchtown road area can be expected to be heavy during period of construction, Arevon representatives stressed that they were placing a heavy emphasis on safety and were aware of school bus, farm implement and residential traffic patterns

• Representatives said that few, if any, hazardous minerals are used in the type of solar panels utilized by this project, that the panels are rated to withstand high

  winds and that the risk for soil/water contamination due to panel breakage is minimal to non-existent

• When asked if there was a comparable sized solar project within driving distance, Representatives stated that there were larger solar farms which had been completed in central and northern Illinois, but, could not identify a project of this scale or size within close driving distance

• According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration solar energy is expected to account for 14% of power from all domestic sources by 2035, and, presently accounts for approximately 5% of all domestic energy; President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act provides substantial tax credits to developers and producers to promote economic viability of solar energy

• The Pike County Council has agreed to a 90% property tax abatement for the project for the first ten years, and, the project is expected to cost approximately $128,000,000.

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