A $70 million, utility-scale solar project that would use 380 acres of land and bring millions of dollars in property tax revenue over the life of the project could be coming to Galesburg and Knox County.
A 50-megawatt solar farm has plans to build on 360 acres of Knox County property with substantial capital investment anticipated. President of the Knox County Area Partnership for Economic Development Ken Springer says this project is different than past solar projects in Knox County. Power generated from this solar farm will go into the grid. It will be located South of Galesburg along Farnham Street between Galesburg City Limits and County Road 10. The bulk of the parcels the project will sit on is in unincorporated Knox County which has few residents nearby. He says Trajectory Energy Partners will invest almost $70 million into Galesburg and Knox County in a project they're calling Blackberry Solar. Springer says estimates have the project paying about $300,000 in property taxes in the first year alone. Right now 2023 is marked for the start of construction, but Springer admits plenty could push that date back. Trajectory Energy Partners is not asking for any local incentives,