Project Orange, outside of the Joanna community, will be a Battery-Storage Facility to be constructed by as-yet-unnamed economic development entities, the Laurens County Council disclosed Monday night.
No information was provided about the size of this project’s investment.
Council authorized the first of three readings of 3 ordinances - a development agreement in accordance with the South Carolina Local Development Agreement Act; a fee-in-lieu-of-taxes agreement for Project Orange; and a FILOT for Project Orange II.
“This is not a traditional industrial project,” said Jon Coleman, President/CEO of the Laurens County Development Corporation. “It’s an infrastructure project. It’s a battery storage system that is going on a transmission line in Joanna beside the wastewater treatment plant*. It stores energy during low peak times and puts it back on the grid during high peak times. It makes our electricity and grid more resilient during the peak.”
Two FILOT ordinances are needed because of the two different phases of the project, he said.
The FILOT agreements say this Battery-Storage Facility will be sponsored together with one or more existing, or to-be-formed, affiliated entities and sponsors for infrastructure credits in connection with an economic development project.
Council spent about 16 minutes in executive session to discuss the matter, before Coleman’s public session presentation.
All 3 ordinances were approved on a 5-0 vote. The ordinances need two more readings, and a public hearing, to become official - this reading was by “title only” and no information was presented about the amount of investment used to justify a FILOT or any new job-creations.
The name of the applicant company normally is not disclosed at this stage for competitive reasons.
Second reading should be Dec. 14.
That will be the County Council’s next regular meeting, and the time for the Quarterly Public Input Session. Council rules call for public comments on agenda items (there were none at the Nov. 9 meeting) during regular meetings, and another time each quarter for citizens to present any topic they want to, to the County Council.
Normally, that Input Session would be a called meeting on the 4th Monday, but for December, that would be close to Christmas.
The next Input Session will be part of the Dec. 14 council meeting - regular meetings happen at 6 p.m. in the council chambers, second floor of the Historic Courthouse in downtown Laurens.
In other business, Council and Emergency 911 presented special recognition to dispatcher Honesty Godfrey for the first-ever successful baby delivery through a 911 call in Laurens County. The family, with the baby, attended the Council meeting.
Laurens County E911 also has had successful CPR rescues through dispatchers’ assistance.
Rick Green, with the Upper Savannah Regional Council of Governments, told the council that a Public Transit Feasibility Study has been completed, and a grant is being developed for potential public transit in Laurens, Abbeville and Saluda counties - all part of the Upper Savannah region.
If Laurens County ever wanted to sponsor public transit, this is the study that the SC Department of Transportation will want to see first, Green said.
Council gave the 2nd of 3 readings to an ordinance clarifying that, under the county’s newly revised Animal Control Ordinance, first and second offenses can result in fines.
Council spent about 18 minutes in an second closed session to discuss potential rights-of-way acquisitions for a potential Hwy 101 Bypass in Gray Court. Action after the executive session was a motion authorizing County Administrator Jerre Threatt to begin discussions and negotiations related to the potential project.
*The Clinton-Joanna Wastewater Treatment Plant is owned and operated by the Laurens County Water and Sewer Commission.
