Harmony Twp. Officials Approve $100M Solar Project
Project estimated to generate $513,500 in annual revenue for local community. Construction to begin late 2021.
Harmony Twp., NJ (March 2, 2021) – In January, Harmony Township officials approved a 70-megawatt solar energy generation farm, clearing the way for construction to begin on the project by the end of 2021. The project, called Harmony Plains Solar, is sited on several parcels accessible from Garrison Road, Brainards Road and Harmony Station Road. Harmony Plains Solar is being developed by Dakota Power Partners (dba Dakota Renewable Energy), which will invest $100 million in the project that is anticipated to begin operation in late 2022.
“Harmony Township Mayor Brian Tipton, Deputy Mayor Diane Yamrock and Committeeman Richard Cornely were quick to see the value of this project,” said Timothy Daniels, Dakota Principal and Co-Founder. “The committee members recognize that Harmony Plains Solar will have an enormous aggregate economic benefit. In fact, over its 30-year life, the solar farm will generate more than $31 million in direct economic impact for the local community. That includes construction spending, wages for construction and ongoing maintenance, local taxes, and lease payments.
“For all this economic impact, Harmony Plains Solar will have little-to-no burden on Township and County services, unlike so many types of development, such as residential developments and warehouses,” Daniels continued. “Indeed, the solar farm requires no new public roads and no new sewer. There will be no permanent increase in traffic or noise from the solar farm. We thank Harmony Township for its leadership, foresight, and cooperation.”
Over the 30-year expected life of the project, Harmony Plains Solar is estimated to generate a total of approximately $4.4 million in property taxes. Dakota will pay annual real estate taxes of approximately $22,539 to Harmony Township, $87,346 to the Harmony Township School District, and $53,638 to Warren County, for a total of $163,523 in local taxes per year. Additionally, Dakota will pay Harmony Township $350,000 per year to lease township-owned land for the project.
Harmony Plains Solar is one of a dozen similar projects being proposed in New Jersey by Dakota Power Partners, which has offices in Millville, NJ and Denver, CO. In total, Dakota is proposing a $1 billion utility-scale solar investment in New Jersey. Utilizing a portfolio of low-cost, utility-scale solar and solar + battery storage projects across the Garden State, the company intends to achieve generating capacity totaling more than 1,000 megawatts – enough energy to power 175,000 households.
“Years ago, Harmony Township made a very wise decision to buy land that was destined to be a massive residential project that would have changed Harmony forever. Now, with the Harmony Plains Solar project, they are able to utilize that land to the benefit of their taxpayers, and essentially keep the land held in trust for the future,” said Warren County Commissioner Lori Ciesla, who is the Board of County Commissioners liaison to Harmony Township. “With all the warehousing projects being proposed in Warren County, it is nice to see a project like this that will provide well-paying constructions jobs, income to the town and county, and a source of green energy, all with little detriment to the land,” Ciesla added.
“This is the epitome of smart development,” said Harmony Township Mayor Brian Tipton. “Harmony Plains Solar will provide the township with hundreds of thousands of dollars in annual lease revenue for an underutilized municipal property. Plus it advances the community’s environmental sustainability and leadership goals. Thanks to Dakota Power Partners, Harmony Township will have a substantial revenue source for three decades with minimal impact in expenses to the Township. In addition, the next generation in the Township will have the opportunity to decide what it wants to do with the municipal property at the end of the lease.”
"Utility-scale solar energy is one of New Jersey’s greatest growth industries and that’s great news for labor,” said Mike Pulsinelli, Business Agent for IBEW Local 102 and President of the Building & Construction Trades Council for Warren County. “The IBEW applauds Harmony Township for embracing this project. Projects like this will help New Jersey meet the renewable energy goals included in the Governor's Energy Master Plan, while paying good wages to our members, who are proud to do their part to create a sustainable energy future for our state."
“Ironworkers are playing a critically important role in ramping up the state’s clean energy program and the Harmony Plains solar project will be no different,” said Ray Woodall, Business Manager of Local 11 Ironworkers and Vice President of the New Jersey Building & Construction Trades Council. “Utility-scale solar projects like this are key to getting Ironworkers Local 11 back to full employment after the pandemic disrupted the lives of so many working families.”
Solar farms such as Harmony Plains Solar, and the other similar projects Dakota has proposed in New Jersey, have virtually no impact on the environment – the solar farms utilize no fertilizers, pesticides, or herbicides. And, unlike traditional power plants, solar farms consume no water and generate no wastewater, which means healthier rivers, lakes, and aquafers. Dakota Power Partners will plant native, pollinator-friendly grasses as groundcover to protect against erosion and to increase biodiversity at the sites. At the end of the project’s 30-year lifespan, the equipment will be removed, and the property will be restored to its pre-construction condition.
About Dakota Power Partners:
Led by energy industry veterans, Dakota Power Partners works closely with local communities, landowners, commercial and industrial customers, and utilities to develop large-scale, clean-energy projects. Our projects produce low-cost clean energy, benefit host communities, and create 21st-Century American jobs. The Dakota Power Partners team has more than 80 years of combined experience in the nation’s power generation industry and has participated in the development of more than 3,300 megawatts of operating and in-construction wind and solar projects around the U.S., representing an aggregate capital investment in rural communities in excess of $4.1 billion. For more information about Dakota Power Partners, visit dakotapp.com.