MILAM COUNTY, Texas — Solar companies and investors are slowly making Central Texas the capital of solar farms and Milam County will soon have two more on its growing list.
The Milam County commissioners approved the creation of reinvestment zones that will house several new solar farms at a recent meeting. They also unanimously approved tax breaks for the farms.
The county commissioners have now approved tax breaks for nine different solar farms.
According to Milam County Judge Steve Young, the farms are bringing in billions of dollars in investments, but it's an investment that not everyone can get behind.
Milam County has had steady requests to build farms. Young believes the county is a hot spot for many reasons.
"There's land, there's availability and those powerlines," he said.
The decision to lease the land is a property owner decision, not the county government. The county is only stepping in to give them a tax break. Young said they give tax abatements when a company or investor adds a substantial investment in the county, and/or creates new jobs.
"Milam County and any county in this state of Texas is going to give tax abatements to get new business in the county. We do that routinely," Young said.
But a Milam County resident believes this isn't the right type of business.
"I just wanted to bring awareness to the commissioners that not everybody is for this, and that we have a lot riding on our land and our water," said a resident who didn't want her name released.
The resident and her family moved to Milam County for what it offered: A true Texas feel, a great place to build a family and invest.
But she said her quality of life will be hindered with solar farms surrounding the area and potentially creating danger.
"I feel like maybe I'll have to maybe find a new county to put our roots down in because of their push to offer these tax abatements to solar farms," the opposing resident said.
But Young said it's not up to the county to bring the solar farms in, although the county is raking in benefits for those that lease their land.
"We get that sales tax business, the whole nine yards," Young said "It's a good thing for the county and that's just business, that's the way it works."
The two solar farms that were granted tax breaks Monday are set to be completed by March 2022.
The county commissioners will have another public hearing and vote for two additional solar farms in August.