The Cass County Board unanimously approved Savion Energy’s solar energy farm project in Beardstown Monday night at their monthly board meeting. Savion Project Developer Courtney Timmons presented the board a similar run down of the project’s particulars, which he had given a few weeks prior to the Cass County Zoning Board of Appeals, prior to the Monday night vote. According to the Cass County Star-Gazette, Timmons highlighted the project’s economic impact of $100-150 million capital investment in the project that would generate $15-20 million in tax revenue over the project’s anticipated 30-year lifespan.
Timmons said last week that 60% of the tax revenue from the project will go directly to Beardstown School District. The project is also expected to produce approximately 200 temporary jobs and up to 5 full-time jobs in Cass County for the lifespan of the solar farm. Timmons also told the board that students in Cass County will benefit from the creation of a scholarship fund by Savion that would provide two $1,000 scholarships for each year the project is in service, with the potential of providing financial aid for as many as 60 college-bound students.
In email communication with WLDS News, Vice President of Marketing & Public Relations Johnna Guinty says if all goes according to Savion’s schedule, the project is expected to begin construction sometime in late 2021. That schedule may change based on the timing of the sale of the project’s power. Guinty says the expected online date will be in late 2022. Guinty says that the next phase for Savion will involve additional environmental and design studies as well as efforts on selling the generated power from the project.