Millville planners approve solar farmMillville planners approve solar energy farm

MILLVILLE - The city Planning Board on Jan. 12 unanimously approved a 50-megawatt solar energy generation farm.

Approval for the project cleared the way for construction to begin by the end of 2021, according to a news release from city officials. Called Nabb Solar I, the Dakota Power Partners project will be located along Nabb Avenue in the western part of the city. It is expected to begin operation in fall 2022.

"Mayor Mike Santiago and the other Millville City Commissioners were quick to see the value of this project," Timothy Daniels, Dakota principal and co-founder, said in a statement, adding his company has two other projects proposed for Cumberland County.

Nabb Solar I will have an estimated lifespan of 30 years, the release said, generating a total of $7.8 million in taxes. Dakota will pay estimated annual real estate taxes of $102,295 to the city, $67,547 to the local school district and $98,166 to Cumberland County.

The project is one is six being proposed in New Jersey by Dakota, totaling a $1 billion utility-scale solar investment for the state. The company intends to achieve a generating capacity of 1,000 megawatts, which it says is enough to power 175,000 households.

"We are witnessing the turning of the tide in the battle against the climate crisis," county Commissioner Director Joe Derella said in the release. "With a massive $70 million investment in our region, the Nabb Solar project is creating hundreds of well-paying construction jobs and injecting our economy with a projected $7.8 million in much-needed long-term tax revenue, enabling Cumberland County and the City of Millville to provide the services that improve the quality of life for every citizen."

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