Finney County to Consider Special Use Permit Requests for Energy Infrastructure Projects

Finney County, KS — The Finney County Board of County Commissioners will consider, at the earliest, June 1, 2026, Special Use Permit (SUP) requests related to proposed energy infrastructure projects in Finney County.

The requests involve the following proposed projects:

Lone Bison Solar, LLC – Commercial Solar Energy Conversion System (CSECS) project
Sherlock Solar, LLC – Commercial Solar Energy Conversion System (CSECS) project
Sherlock Energy Storage, LLC – Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) project

These requests are being reviewed through the County’s Special Use Permit process established under Article 36 of the Finney County Zoning Regulations. The purpose of the SUP process is to allow the County to evaluate whether specific land uses are appropriate in a particular location and to determine what conditions, protections, and agreements may be necessary before any project can move forward.

The Board’s consideration of these items does not authorize construction. Approval of a Special Use Permit only determines whether the proposed land use may be appropriate for the property under County zoning regulations, subject to future requirements, conditions, agreements, and approvals. Additional review processes would still be required before construction could begin.

If approved, the applicants would still be required to complete additional steps, including but not limited to:

Development Agreements
Road Use and Maintenance Agreements
Decommissioning Agreements
Community Benefit Agreements
Emergency readiness and operational planning requirements
Submission of detailed site and building plans
Completion of plan review and permitting processes
Compliance with County zoning and subdivision regulations

Project Summaries

Lone Bison Solar Project
The Lone Bison Solar project is proposed as a 330-megawatt alternating current commercial solar energy conversion system located generally in portions of Township 25 South, Range 34 West, and Township 26 South, Range 34 West in Finney County. The proposed project area is approximately 3,853 acres.

Sherlock Solar Project
The Sherlock Solar project is proposed as a 400-megawatt alternating current commercial solar energy conversion system located generally in Township 25 South, Range 34 West in Finney County. The proposed project area is approximately 6,150 acres. The project is identified as part of the broader Home Range Clean Power Project.

Sherlock Energy Storage Project
The Sherlock Energy Storage project is proposed as a 400-megawatt, four-hour Battery Energy Storage System integrated with the Sherlock Solar project. The proposed project area is approximately 54 acres. The project is identified as part of the broader Home Range Clean Power Project.

Public Process and Transparency
Finney County recognizes that these topics generate strong opinions and significant public interest. The County’s role is to ensure proposals are reviewed through a transparent, fact-based, and legally established process that evaluates each project on its own merits.

The SUP process includes consideration of a wide range of evaluation criteria, including but not limited to the following:

Compatibility with surrounding land uses
Traffic and road impacts
Environmental considerations
Fire and emergency preparedness
Utility and infrastructure impacts
Public health and safety
Community input
Compliance with the Comprehensive Plan and County regulations

County staff, the Planning Commission, consultants, legal counsel, and other reviewing entities evaluate proposals against these criteria before recommendations are made to the Board of County Commissioners. The Planning Commission previously recommended approval of the Lone Bison Solar SUP on March 19, 2026, and recommended approval of the Sherlock Solar and Sherlock Energy Storage SUP requests on April 16, 2026.

The County also wants the public to understand that no final decisions regarding future digital infrastructure development, natural gas generation, or additional associated facilities have been approved through this process at this time. The County’s current focus is ensuring that any proposal brought forward is evaluated carefully, transparently, and in accordance with County regulations and applicable law.

Public Participation
The public is encouraged to review agenda materials and attend the Board of County Commissioners meeting. Public participation and community input remain an important part of the review process.

Public input regarding the SUP applications will occur during the designated Public Comment portion of the meeting, at a time established by the County Commission Chair, in accordance with adopted meeting guidelines and procedures.

Individuals wishing to provide oral comment may be required to complete a public input card prior to the Public Comment period. Written comments may also be submitted in advance via email to administrationoffice@finneycountyks.gov or delivered to the Zoning Administrator’s Office at 101 W. Maple St., Garden City, KS 67846, by the Friday before the meeting, at 5:00 p.m. Written submissions should include the individual’s name, permanent residence address, and identify whether the individual resides, owns property, or owns a business in Finney County, or is authorized to speak on behalf of a Finney County resident, property owner, or business.

Meeting procedures may include time limits for speakers, speaker order considerations based on proximity or relationship to the proposed project areas, and other decorum and participation requirements established by the County Commission. Members of the public may also submit a public input card indicating support, neutrality, or opposition to a project without speaking orally.

The County Commission reserves the authority to enforce meeting decorum, modify participation procedures as necessary during the meeting, and continue deliberations to a future meeting if determined appropriate.

Applications and supporting materials are available on our website at https://www.finneycounty.org/889/Submitted-SUP-Applications. Complete memos, full terms and conditions, and supporting documents for each SUP will be available on the meeting agenda at a future date. As Special Use Permit applications are submitted, Finney County will continue providing updates through media releases and social media posts regarding submitted SUP applications and related review processes. The meetings will be live-streamed and recorded on our Finney County Facebook and YouTube pages.