KEY TAKEAWAYS: Entergy proposes a 200-megawatt Cypress Harvest Solar Project on 1,660 acres west of Plaquemine along LA 75. Project would create about 200 construction jobs and four permanent positions under a 40-year lease agreement. Residents oppose the plan, citing concerns over property va lues, flooding risks, and quality-of-life impacts. Project could generate roughly $2.9 million in annual tax revenue and requires parish approval before construction begins.   Plans for a solar farm southwest of Plaquemine drew opposition from area residents last week during a public meeting Entergy hosted at the Carl F. Grant Civic Center. Entergy plans to build the Cypress Harvest Solar Project on 1,660 acres west of Plaquemine along La. 75. The 200-megawatt renewable would span approximately 1,660 acres. The project would employ up 200 workers during the construction. It would staff four full-time workers upon completion of the solar farm. The plan calls for development through a partnership with E.J. Gay Planting and A. Wilbert Sons under a 40-year lease agreement. It interconnects to existing high-voltage infrastructure. The project also would include reserved land for potential future Battery Energy Storage System integration. Iberville Parish President Chris Daigle touted the project as a revenue-producer that would generate an additional $2.9 million in annual tax revenue. Spokesmen for the project touted large setbacks from residential areas and roadways.  The setbacks would keep more acreage for agriculture and/or future development. About 70 residents attended the forum. Several said they felt “blindsided” because they had not heard any information about it until a few days before it was held. The announcement appeared on the Iberville Parish Government Facebook page within a week of the event. Concerns about another solar farm ranged from diminishing property values, ground and water issues and threats to their quality of life. Seth Schilling, manager of regional customer service for Entergy, said the project would be a safe revenue energy producer for the parish. Residents say the facility would be an eyesore and would hamper quality of life in their area. Others fear it would harm vegetation. The next step would call for Entergy to submit the application for the project. The plan would then go before the Iberville Parish Council for review and a possible vote. The project would interconnect to existing high-voltage infrastructure and would reserve land for the proposed future Batter Energy Storage System (BESS), according to information provided at the forum. The modules will come from a facility in Texas, but some of the components will be shipped from overseas. The modules will be assembled and manufactured in America. A representative of Gay Properties said the panels would not be adjacent to homes. Resident Marvin “Coo” Pierce, who lives in Forest Grove Subdivision, disagreed. Pierce said the property values would likely decrease 1.5 to 5 percent. He also said that their pamphlet stated that a study from the northern part of the United States said the property values would not increase. The research should have been done in Louisiana, he said. Pierce also fears it could intensify the flood risk the area along La. 75. In addition, he voiced concern about the potential hazardous substances in the panels. Pierce read aloud the hazardous substances and said he may organize a petition in opposition of the project. He also said he may file legal litigation against all parties involved. He said he believes the project would work better in other areas. “I drove thru the emergency evacuation route in Plaquemine between Enterprise Boulevard and Choctaw Road and noticed massive acreage of farmland with zero residents,” Pierce said. “I think that would be a better area to build the solar farm.” Pierce said he bought his home in Forest Grove Subdivision because it was not in a flood zone. “But 10 years later, the state of Louisiana and Bobby Jindal revised and extended the flood zones, which encapsulated my home, causing me to have to pay another $2,500 per year flood coverage on my home,” he said. “And now we’re getting this solar panel farm within ‘rock-throwing distance'”‘ of our homes, which now make our residential area much less attractive or desirable for persons looking for a home to buy.” Entergy cannot break ground on the site until it applies for a permit from the Iberville Parish Government. Upon receipt of the application, parish government engineers review the document and proposals required for the permit. The parish government also has a 30-day notice process in place before it goes up for review. A public hearing is also required. The lack of zoning in Iberville Parish could also pose a challenge. The parish, however, has begun legwork for new Master Plan, will bring forth the first steps toward enacting of zoning ordinances in the parish. Zoning would put codes in place for what and how certain land parcels can be utilized. Residents said it would be fair to let people vote on whether the solar farm should be approved. “No projects like that go before the voting polls,” Daigle said. “That’s why you all elect the council members to represent you in your districts, and that’s the way it’s always been.” Sugarcane farmer Troy Canella, proprietor of Canella Farms, said he hopes parish officials work to taper down growth in Iberville Parish. Canella said he and others in agribusiness across the parish want Iberville help preserve its agriculture rather than let it slip away. “I’m not downing this project in this particular, and I’m not downing Chris or anybody,” Canella said. “But right now, I feel like everything is moving so fast. “I’m not saying we don’t need a balance. But as for the future, we should think of everything we have here now in Iberville Parish.” If the Parish Council approves Entergy’s request, contractors would begin work at the site in September. The mechanical would start in April 2028, with substantial completion intact by August 2028. All power generated would be to the benefit of Entergy Louisiana users. All costs and benefits must be approved by the Louisiana Public Service Commission. The latest proposal comes three years after two ill-fated attempts for solar farms in White Castle. Florida-based NextEra scrapped plans in fall 2023 to build a solar farm project on 2,057 acres of land near Richland Road during the administration of then-Parish President J. Mitchell Ourso. NextEra backed out on another try for a plant after the Jupiter, Fla-based energy provider drew strong opposition for its proposed Coastal Prairie Solar Project, also in White Castle. This article originally appeared on Plaquemine Post South: Plaquemine residents oppose plans for solar farm along Belleview Road Reporting by John Ory Dupont, Post South / Plaquemine Post South USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect ...read more read less