OPPD Halts $610M York County Solar Project Over Zoning

YORK COUNTY — The Omaha Public Power District allowed a key interconnection agreement to expire for the K-Junction solar project near McCool Junction, effectively killing the $610 million development.

OPPD cited York County's proposed solar zoning regulations as the reason. The utility said it let the Generator Interconnection Agreement lapse to avoid construction delays while county officials continue developing rules.

OPPD acquired the project in 2023. The K-Junction site would have generated up to 310 megawatts of solar power and brought $30 million in local tax revenue, according to the utility.

The expired agreement also means OPPD loses its reserved connection to the Southwest Power Pool, a process that took years to secure. The utility must file a new interconnection request to move forward.

OPPD's Government and Community Relations Manager Dustin Marvel said York County's proposed standards — including setback requirements, capacity caps, and open-ended permitting authority — make projects too expensive and risky to finance.

"These standards go beyond typical zoning practices and make it difficult to define scope, cost or timeline," Marvel said.

A public hearing on the proposed utility-scale solar zoning regulations is scheduled for April 27 at the York County Courthouse.