GRANITE FALLS — The Yellow Medicine County Board was briefed on a solar project in development at a special afternoon meeting on Tuesday. 

Martha Belshaw, senior associate project manager for new projects for Scout Clean Energy addressed the board via streaming video. Belshaw said she was unaware of the nature of the open meeting and expressed concerns about discussing sensitive information. 

When Belshaw asked if she could address the board at another time, Chairman Ron Antony informed her open meeting laws applied whenever there were three or more commissioners present and suggested she omit any sensitive information from the briefing and told her no recording was being made. 

Scout Clean Energy develops, owns, and operates wind and solar energy projects in 23 states according to Belshaw. It currently operates 20 such projects and have more than 50 currently in development. 

The project in Yellow Medicine County is currently in the early development stage. When complete, Scout Clean Energy expects it to occupy between 1,200 and 1,600 acres and generate from 150 to 200 megawatts of power, enough to provide energy for about 22,000 homes. 

At present, the company has reached agreement with local landowners to lease 600 acres in Hazel Creek and Minnesota Falls townships, and is in negotiations for 1,000 more. 

Belshaw said landowners will receive rent for 60 years and local government will receive tax revenues for 50 years.

The solar project will connect with Xcel Energy through the Hazel Creek substation. The solar panels will be mounted on piles driven into the ground and are bifacial modules that move to face the sun throughout the day. 

Scout Clean Energy expects to begin construction in 2029, and the project is expected to be online from 2030 to 2070 before being decommissioned. The company will be required to post a $7 million decommissioning bond. Belshaw suggested it be paid over four years, to be negotiated at a later date. 

The next stage in the development process is to meet with the Hazel Creek and Minnesota Falls township boards. Construction will begin in 2029 if all goes well. 

In other business, Theresa Zeibarth spoke about Parental Alienation Syndrome, a term coined in the 1980s by child psychiatrist Dr. Richard A. Gardner. It occurs when one parent attempts to turn the couple’s children against the other parent, often but not always in the context of divorce. Zeibarth urged the board to consider the need for family service agencies and personnel to get trained in the symptoms and consequences.