The action refers to seven tracts of land east and south of the Lawton city limits, and all but one north of East Lee Boulevard. The property is between Southeast 60th Street and Oklahoma 65. Three tracts between Southeast 60th and Southeast 90th streets are on the southern and southeast border of Fort Sill property.
Commissioners said in a statement that a public auction on the property was held June 3 and the winning bidder was EDF Renewables, a company with a 30-year history in North America’s solar and wind industry. EDF is planning a 250-megawatt facility in Comanche County, sufficient to produce enough energy to potentially power 100,000 homes, the company said.
EDF Renewables said the first five years will be the development phase, and the CLO will receive $67,720 for the first year’s rental. It is expected that approximately 2,500 acres will be suitable for the project and the remaining land will be returned to the CLO to remain in the agricultural lease program, according to a CLO statement.
Once the construction and production phases begin, the annual rent will be $1.2 million, compared to the agricultural rate of $87,800 per year for the same 2,500 acres.
“This project is a win for all Oklahomans,” said Gov. Kevin Stitt, Chairman of the Commissioners of the Land Office. “It will bring valuable jobs and economic development benefits to Comanche County and the substantial gain in rental income will benefit students in public schools across the state.”
This project will produce a significant increase in trust revenue that will be distributed to Oklahoma K-12 schools and designated higher education institutions, CLO officials said.
EDF Renewables is the global renewable energy affiliate of EDF Group, which develops, builds and operates renewable power plants. According to EDF Renewables, the company is a market-leading independent power producer and service provider. EDF Renewables has solar, wind and solar storage projects across the country, including Mustang Solar in west Oklahoma City, and two wind plants in Windthorst, Texas.
