‘Beholden to the People’: McKenzie County rejects solar farm, citing ‘unprecedented’ community resistance
M.K. French
Farmer Staff Writer
In a decisive meeting on December 16, the McKenzie County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to deny a permit for the Cattle Creek Solar Project, prioritizing a groundswell of local opposition over the developer’s last-minute appeal for more time. The decision effectively halts the proposed $280-million, 150-megawatt photovoltaic project, which was slated to encompass 853 acres in the Patent Gate area.
Before the vote, Eric Wedesky, Senior Project Developer for IBV Energy Partners, presented a formal request to “table” the decision until March 2026. Wedesky argued that the additional months would allow the company to further engage with neighbors, negotiate compensation packages, and fund an escrow account for third-party engineering reviews. “We believe projects like Cattle Creek, if given some additional time, can be part of the next wave of American greatness,” Wedesky told the board, invoking historical themes of industrial innovation and the phrase “Make America Great Again” to frame renewable energy as a compliment to the region’s natural gas industry.
Despite IBV’s technical compliance, the commissioners remained unmoved by the request for an extension. During the board’s discussion, commissioners acknowledged that while IBV had worked diligently to “check the boxes” regarding ordinances and environmental studies, the project failed to win the most critical factor: public consent. “What we’re ultimately dealing with here is that we have a pretty tremendous public outcry and a unified opinion saying that we don’t want this project here,” Commissioner Joel Brown stated, describing the level of community resistance as “unprecedented” during his tenure. The board emphasized that their role as elected officials was to honor the will of their constituents, even if a project meets technical specifications on paper. “Even if it is capable of checking certain boxes, if it’s something the people don’t want, we are beholden to the people and to honoring ultimately what they want,” Brown noted.
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