The developers of a solar project partially in Audrain County near Vandalia say they’re here to support the community for the long term.

Representatives with EDF Renewables visited with county commissioners and officials from municipalities from around the county at the first Audrain County Municipalities meeting of 2024 in the Farnen Community Room inside the Audrain County Courthouse on Tuesday, Jan. 30. EDF along with Blattner Construction is building a 200-megawatt solar farm on Route P just north of Vandalia. Part of the project is in Ralls County.

The project, known as the Huck Finn Project, is being constructed near the Ameren Energy Station and will eventually become part of the energy company’s enterprises. The project once completed will provide power to 40,000 homes.

At the meeting, Stephanie Miller, a spokesperson for EDF, told people in attendance the project has already contributed $5 million to the local economy. Miller said the construction jobs brought to the area are having a positive effect on construction supply stores, hardware stores, restaurants, and hotels. Miller said the company gets a monthly report.

Miller said that spending also provides an indirect benefit to the community through taxes and both companies have pulled out the checkbook for philanthropic endeavors like a $30,000 donation to the Mexico YMCA and $5,000 between the two companies to help pay library memberships for seniors who live in rural areas. Miller said that giving will continue.

“It’s not just a one-and-done,” Miller said. “It’s not just during development. It’s not just during Construction that we’re here. We’re here for the life of the project. We’re not going anywhere soon.”

Eastern District Commissioner Leslie Meyer said EDF and Blattner have spread the donations well beyond the footprint of the project.

“We feel very fortunate to have EDF here in Audrain County helping,” Meyer said. “They’re going all around Audrain County.”

Presiding Commissioner Alan Winders said when the project first approached the county they made sure to have provisions in an agreement to protect the county’s taxpayers and their infrastructure. Winders said solar and wind projects have come with a lot of controversy but that hasn’t been the case with the Huck Finn Project.

“We did not court EDF. We did not court solar, nor did we say, ‘You can’t come here,’” Winders said. “They’re here, they’re involved and doing good things and we’re glad about that.”

Winders echoed Meyer’s sentiments and said so far EDF and Blattner are living the show me motto.

“A lot of companies come and say ‘We’re going to be involved in the community and we’re going to do this and we’re going to do that.’ It’s easy to say and sometimes it doesn’t happen,” Winders said. “These guys have done what they said they were going to do.”

The project is scheduled to go online sometime this year.