A national renewable energy company is exploring McCook County in eastern South Dakota as the possible location of a large solar electric generating project.

McCook County Planning and Zoning Administrator Cori Kaufmann says the company, National Grid Renewables, has not officially filed any applications…

Lindsay Smith, a spokesperson for National Grid, says, in an email, they are planning a ninety-nine megawatt solar project on about eight hundred acres of leased land in Grant Township. She says they anticipate about one hundred thirty construction jobs, with three to four permanent positions and about a half million dollars in property taxes a year.

Kaufmann says the company has to meet their zoning requirements..

Company representatives were at a county commission meeting last month. Kaufmann says there were a lot of questions….

Kaufmann says they haven’t been told when National Grid may file for their conditional use permit.