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A Bucksport solar farm capable of powering thousands of homes could be under construction by the end of the year if Horry County Council approves an incentives package for the project Tuesday night.

Council members expect to take their final vote on the deal, which if approved would be the first solar farm to receive the council鈥檚 support in recent years. County leaders have rejected two other solar proposals, citing environmental concerns, but this project received unanimous support last week.

鈥淲e were incredibly excited,鈥� said Sean Andersen, director of project management at Pine Gate Renewables, the company behind the farm. 鈥淭his project鈥檚 been a long time coming.鈥�

Located near the intersection of U.S. 701 South and Winburn Street, the solar farm would span about 500 acres and would generate energy that would be sold to Santee Cooper, the state-run utility.

Under the terms of the proposed agreement with the county, the minimum investment in the project would be $50 million. In exchange for charging a lower tax rate on the property, the county would receive a fee of about $231,000 per year, or nearly $7 million over 30 years.

During last week鈥檚 council meeting, councilman Orton Bellamy encouraged his peers to support the farm, which would be built in his district.

鈥淲e did a great deal of research on this project,鈥� he said, adding that he had walked the land a day earlier. 鈥淭his project does not require any turning lanes, no traffic lights, no environmental impact. 鈥� It鈥檚 an excellent project.鈥�

Pine Gate Renewables has worked on the Bucksport project for about three years, Andersen said. Headquartered in North Carolina, Pine Gate was founded in 2014 and develops large-scale solar projects across the country.

One of those projects, Bowman Solar in Orangeburg County, would be comparable to the Bucksport solar farm, Pine Gate officials said. The Bowman operation generates enough energy to power about 14,000 South Carolina homes each year. It broke ground in 2019 and began operating in August of 2020.

Pine Gate has 100 solar sites in more than 20 states, though the company has invested heavily in North Carolina and South Carolina.

鈥淥verall, we are a Carolinas-focused developer,鈥� Andersen said. 鈥淲e are really excited about the future for solar in South Carolina.鈥�

Horry County

Horry County Council gives mixed review of solar farm projects

• By Charles D. Perry charles.perry@myhorrynews.com

County leaders have not shared that excitement, at least not in recent years.

While Santee Cooper has sought to shrink its carbon footprint by closing coal-fired power plants and expanding its use of solar energy, county leaders have expressed concerns about what happens to solar panels when their life cycle ends.

Solar energy doesn鈥檛 reduce carbon output to zero. Panels are fabricated in factories, and there are rare metals involved such as silver, terbium and cadmium. When those metals are disposed, there are ecological consequences.

But experts maintain solar technology has improved and many companies recycle solar panels now. Pine Gate also agreed not to use panels containing cadmium telluride, which had worried county leaders.

Of course, there are also concerns about the implications of not shifting to renewable energy quickly enough.

That was a selling point for Bucksport activist Kevin Mishoe, who toured the property for the solar farm last week and asked questions of Pine Gate representatives. He was pleased to see Santee Cooper鈥檚 interest in renewable energy and he encouraged council members to support the project during the April 5 meeting.

鈥淚 immediately recognized and saw the benefits of this project as well as the minimal environmental impact and little to no lasting change to traffic in our area,鈥� he said. 鈥淭his also fits with our pursuit in the Bucksport community of a green community.鈥�