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WAHPETON — Construction is underway on the Abercrombie Solar Project near Colfax, a solar energy facility expected to bring about 300 construction jobs and $23.8 million in state and local tax benefits to the region over 35 years once operational, according to Otter Tail Power Company.
The project sits near Highway 75 and Interstate 29, with construction activity expected to be visible in Wahpeton, Abercrombie, Colfax and along the I-29 corridor over the roughly year-and-a-half build. Otter Tail Power expects the facility to begin commercial operation in 2028.
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Stephanie Hoff, communications director for Otter Tail Power Company, said utility-scale projects like Abercrombie Solar typically begin taking shape years before construction starts. The company’s integrated resource plans look roughly 15 years into the future and are updated every two years, and solar generation had been identified as a future need for a number of years before this project came together.
“So we’ve been having the need for solar identified for a number of years,” Hoff said.
The project has already received approval from the North Dakota Public Service Commission, clearing the way for construction, which Hoff said is already underway.
The project was originally developed under the name Flickertail Solar Project by Flickertail Solar Project LLC, a subsidiary of Savion LLC, also known as Savion Energy, Hoff said. Otter Tail Power later entered into an asset purchase agreement to acquire the development assets from Savion, closing that deal before pursuing final approval and construction under the new name, Abercrombie Solar.
“It was Savion’s project to develop,” Hoff said, explaining that as Otter Tail Power searched for projects that would meet its customers’ future energy needs, the company proposed acquiring the development assets from Savion. Once that agreement closed, Otter Tail Power was able to secure project approval and proceed with construction.
A cost estimate of $375 million for the project has circulated publicly, tied to Public Service Commission filings; Hoff did not directly confirm that figure during the interview, instead addressing the project’s separate tax revenue projections. That cost figure should be independently verified against Public Service Commission records.
Residents near the project site should expect increased truck traffic and larger construction equipment on area roads throughout the build, Hoff said, with solar panels themselves arriving and being installed later in the process.
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“The biggest thing is more traffic and larger sized vehicles likely on the roads,” Hoff said.
Beyond traffic, Hoff said the company is watching for dust control issues and the potential spread of weeds as ground is disturbed during construction — a concern Richland County officials have also raised with the company regarding noxious weed control near the project site. Landowners along gravel roads used for construction traffic may also notice additional wear and grading needs, which Hoff said the company is working to minimize.
Otter Tail Power said it has not received major concerns from area residents to date beyond those routine construction impacts, and the company has coordinated directly with Abercrombie Township, Colfax Township and Richland County throughout the process to address local issues as they arise.
Otter Tail Power conducts environmental assessments before construction begins on any of its energy projects, Hoff said, evaluating the natural habitat and land use of a site in advance. Once construction wraps up, the company plans to restore disturbed areas as close to their original condition as possible, including replanting and reseeding native grasses or wildflowers displaced during the build.
The company noted much of the Abercrombie Solar site is not considered prime farmland, which Hoff said reduces the project’s impact on the area’s most productive agricultural ground.
Beyond the roughly 300 construction jobs expected at peak activity and the $23.8 million in projected state and local tax revenue over 35 years, Hoff said the project also involves lease agreements with area landowners. She said Otter Tail Power’s broader goal is to build the project responsibly, keep communication open with area communities throughout construction and ensure the project’s tax benefits remain in North Dakota.
“We want to build the project responsibly, communicate clearly and deliver the long-term value,” Hoff said.
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