Planning board gives green light to 2,400-acre Lancaster County solar farm

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — A Lancaster County board gave its stamp of approval Wednesday to a controversial solar energy project near Hallam.

The Lincoln-Lancaster County Planning Commission passed three amendments to county zoning rules intended to appease concerned property owners.

Then the panel sent the $600 million project to the Lancaster County Board for final approval.

SEE ALSO: Meeting on proposed 2,400-acre solar farm in Lancaster County gets heated

NextEra Energy is planning to build a 2,400-acre solar farm in an area roughly bounded by Highway 77, Southwest 29th Street, West Princeton Road and West Gage Road.

The company said it would generate enough electricity to power about 50,000 homes.

But the project has faced stiff opposition from some neighbors, who worry about the effect on wildlife and a reduction in property values.

The amendments passed by the board aim to ease some of those concerns.

They include requirements on how far the solar power storage centers can be from homes.

NextEra will also be required to take steps to cover up the farm to keep it from being an eyesore.