Chickasaw County is going solar with multi-million dollar investment
"We have landed over a thousand-acre solar farm. A $235 million investment in Chickasaw County."
OKOLONA, Miss. (WCBI) – Russell Brooks is the supervisor for District 3 in Chickasaw County.
He said this deal has been five years in the making.
“This project came to be starting in 2019. We sponsored a solar conference down in Atlanta Georgia and invited all of the solar companies across the United States to attend that conference,” said Brooks.
Brooks said the board of supervisors agreed the results were worth the wait.
NextEra Energy Resources is “excited to work with TVA and Chickasaw County to bring clean, reliable solar energy to Mississippi.”
“They chose Chickasaw County as a focal point to put solar farms for the future,” said Brooks.
The profits from this investment could power some growth for the county, especially the Okolona School District.
Okolona Elementary School is nearly a century old and in need of repairs and renovations at the very least.
“This adds about $52 to $54 million added revenue to our taxes. Also, It will be split between the school and the county. So this not only is a win for Chickasaw County but it is also a win for the Okolona School System. There’s a possibility that they can use this money to build a new school,” said Brooks.
This solar project is poised to create a brighter future for residents.
“This is a great day in the present and the future of Chickasaw County. We’re just glad to have this opportunity, glad to have some economic development finally come to Chickasaw County,” said Brooks.
Brooks said the project could take three years to break ground. And when it does, it’s expected to create over 200 construction jobs.
