Creston Solar Project

May 24, 2024

Crews at the Creston Solar Project have completed civil sitework and are nearly finished installing piles, the steel columns used to anchor the solar array to the ground. In March, we installed the site’s first solar panels. We’ve also begun work on the utility substation that will connect the arrays to the main electric grid. We expect the Creston Solar Project to be operational by the end of 2024.

Read further about the progress in our latest project update..pdf

• The Creston Solar Project is expected to generate over $1.2 million in local school district revenue, over $270,000 in total county property taxes for Union County, and approximately $1.9 million in total property taxes over the life of the project.
• Construction of the project will create approximately 80 construction jobs in Union County and nearly 250 construction jobs in the state of Iowa.
• Lease payments to the participating landowners will provide long-term, stable streams of income for each landowner over the life of the project.
• Replacement tax revenue, a state program determined by the generation output of the project, will provide annual payments to Union County.

• We’ll plant native grass and seed mixes around the solar panels and throughout the solar arrays that will help build soil nutrients and create pollinator-friendly habitat. Pollinator-friendly vegetation is proven to prevent soil erosion and add benefit to high-value crops.
• The grass will mature in four years following construction, and as it does, it will improve the water quality and ecological health of the watershed and surrounding bodies of water. The grass reduces the nitrogen, phosphorus, sediment and biological oxygen demand that can lead to excess algae growth and habitat degradation.
• Requiring only sunlight for fuel, the Creston Solar Project represents a long-term reduction of traditional fossil fuels for energy generation, contributing to a cleaner environment and clean energy future for Iowa and the Midwest.