The Persica project is set to be on parcels of land near the town of Porter and the Arkansas River. The company, which owns several solar and wind projects in Oklahoma, first announced its plans in 2021.
Persica would add about 241 megawatts to Oklahoma’s solar output, a significant jump from its existing 500-megawatt capacity. The company said the new output would be equivalent to powering up to 50,000 homes annually.
After more than two hours of public comment, Commissioners James Hanning and Randy Stamps voted to deny the permit, and Tim Kelley voted in favor.
“While NextEra Energy Resources is disappointed with the decision by the Board of County Commissioners, we remain deeply committed to working with local leaders to develop the Persica Solar project in Wagoner County and bring the benefits of the project to the community, including approximately $31 million dollars in tax payments over the lifetime of the project,” Sara Cassidy, the company’s director of development communications said.
It’s unclear whether NextEra will attempt to appeal the decision.
The conditional use permit request was brought to the county in recent months to avoid rezoning the agricultural land that has been leased for the project. About 25 landowners have signed agreements with NextEra, according to one leaseholder, totaling around 4,650 acres.
Opponents of the project have voiced concerns about the ecological impacts of solar farms during several Wagoner County Board of Commissioners meetings, according to FOX23 and other local media. During the June 16 meeting, residents and state lawmakers again spoke out before the vote.
Sen. Julie McIntosh (R-Porter) said she received concerns from her constituents about the company, the potential for soil and water contamination and apprehension about using materials from other countries. China currently leads the U.S. in solar panel shipments, according to a December 2024 report from the Solar Energy Industries Association and firm Wood Mackenzie.
Environmental impacts from decommissioned solar panels are slim relative to municipal waste, coal ash and other sources, according to research including a 2023 peer-reviewed Nature Physics essay. The most common materials used in the panels are glass, aluminium, silicon and polymers, with less than 1% copper, silver and tin, and less than 0.1% lead, according to the researchers.
Rep. Mark Chapman (R-Broken Arrow), who is on the House Utilities Committee, said the project could support the state’s energy demands. He advocated for the project’s approval.
“I think that would be a prudent decision,” he said.
The state legislature this year passed House Bill 1373, authored by Rep. Brad Boles (R-Marlow), which requires companies to “provide the landowner with financial assurance proving their ability to remove the solar power equipment from the property.” It’s unclear whether the law would apply to the Persica project should it move forward.
Landowners Paul and Daven Tackett entered into a lease agreement with NextEra to lease some of their acreage for the project. Paul Tackett said the land has been in his family for more than 100 years, and the lease could help with maintaining the property. The couple also signed on to help their community, he said.
“The beauty of this project was that it was going to help more than just the 25 landowners,” he said. “It was going to help the state, the county and the schools.”
The vote aligns with a national decline in support for renewable energy. A survey published in early June from Pew Research Center shows wind and solar popularity has decreased across party lines since 2020.
In the new survey, about 77% of respondents said they favored solar, down from around 90%.
Tackett said the project shouldn’t be viewed as political but as a tool for adding more power to the grid. He said his attorney had been in contact about a potential lawsuit related to property rights, but he has not yet decided on next steps.
“I'm not a spring chicken,” he said. “I probably won't live to see the end of this 30-year lease because I'm an old man. But I was looking forward to maybe being able to keep my head above water with help from the leasing of my land.”
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