Wichita County’s commissioners voted unanimously Oct. 3 to authorize the County Judge to sign a resolution establishing Wichita Solar Reinvestment Zone No. 1, a legal step that permits future tax abatement negotiations on land inside the zone but does not itself grant an abatement or change property valuations.

The action followed a public hearing during which Bernard Jackson, development manager for TotalEnergies, described plans for a solar project on roughly 6,000 contiguous acres that the company says would produce about 725 megawatts and begin construction in January 2026 with an expected two‑year build time. "...the project is encompassing 6,000 contiguous acres ... we plan to build a 725 megawatt solar project," Jackson told the court.

The county judge and several commissioners explained that establishing a reinvestment zone under Chapter 312 of the Texas Tax Code is a required procedural step that allows a political subdivision to later consider abatements. "This is a necessary step to making an abatement possible, but the abatement itself is a separate item," the County Judge said during the hearing. Court members reiterated that the zone does not automatically change agricultural valuations or tax assessments — those remain with the appraisal district and are only affected by a change of ownership or use.

Commissioners and the TotalEnergies representative discussed the zone boundary shown in the court packet and clarified scope. Commissioners said the reinvestment zone covers the red boundary on the map provided to the court and includes land that could accommodate both phases of the project; however, officials noted the company’s current abatement application covers phase 1 only. Commissioners identified FM 2345 as the northern boundary of phase 1 and confirmed the reinvestment zone extends farther north to cover both phases so a future abatement request for phase 2 would not require a new zone if requested within the five‑year zone window.

Court discussion clarified other procedural points raised by residents and commissioners: a reinvestment zone itself cannot be amended to add parcels later — a separate zone would be required for land not originally included — and the zone expires after five years if unused. Commissioners said the drawn, irregular boundary reflects negotiations already conducted with specific landowners and is not a county attempt to blanket large portions of the county with a zone.

The motion to authorize the County Judge to sign the resolution approving Wichita Solar Reinvestment Zone No. 1 was made by Commissioner McCannon and seconded by Commissioner Beauchamp. The court recorded a 5‑0 vote in favor and closed the public hearing at 10:41 a.m.

Next steps: establishing the reinvestment zone simply allows the parties to pursue abatement negotiations; any abatement agreement would require a separate public process and a subsequent county vote.