GISD takes initial steps on solar project pending state Supreme Court decision
-
(THOMAS WALLNER | THE GRAHAM LEADER) Members of the Graham ISD Board of Trustees and members of the public speak at a public hearing Tuesday, Dec. 27 regarding a solar project from Catalyst Energy, Inc. The proposed project is a 600-megawatt, 8,037-acre solar farm within GISD and Young County. -
(CONTRIBUTED PHOTO | TEXAS COMPTROLLER) The approved area for the Red Top solar reinvestment zone which was requested from Catalyst Energy, Inc. The project was discussed during a public hearing Tuesday, Dec. 27. -
(CONTRIBUTED PHOTO | TEXAS COMPTROLLER) Young County school district boundaries and the approved area for the Red Top solar reinvestment zone which was requested from Catalyst Energy, Inc.
Graham ISD held a public hearing Tuesday regarding the Red Top solar reinvestment zone and an application from Catalyst Energy, Inc. The board approved the reinvestment zone resolution, the findings from the Texas Comptroller’s Office regarding the project and conditionally, the Chapter 313 agreement pending ongoing cases filed with the Supreme Court of Texas.
Moak Casey Executive Director of Economic Development, Kathy Mathias, spoke at the meeting on behalf of the company which serves as the financial consultant for the district. She said the comptroller had 90 days to issue a certificate to the district regarding the project, but failed to do so.
“Their excuse is (they) just ran out of time, but statutorily they were required to do it in 90 days,” Mathias said. “Companies are asking districts to do this process that we’re going through today, because the comptroller has not fulfilled their statutory obligation. This is what we call a conditional approval, meaning that we will approve an agreement, but we will not execute it yet until the comptroller finishes their work.”
Mathias said multiple lawsuits have been filed against the comptroller’s office and are currently pending in the state Supreme Court.
“There have been at least four lawsuits filed there. I know the comptroller responded, I know companies had to respond, but I don’t know how long this process is going to take,” she said. “We’re hoping this is going to keep the application alive until this is resolved. Because Dec. 31, which is just Saturday night, the program itself goes away. (...) We’re already approving this agreement, but we’re just not signing it and executing yet and we’re creating a reinvestment zone (and) granting the job waiver. We are doing the steps that the district needs to take in order to allow this to be finished, pending what the (state) Supreme Court says.”
Editor’s Note: This story is part one of two involving the public hearing held Tuesday, Dec. 27. Part two part will publish next Wednesday and feature local questions raised during the hearing.
For the full story, see the Saturday, Dec. 31 edition of The Graham Leader.
