Effingham County has received notice from Mason Plains, LLC (Nexamp) that the company has withdrawn its application for a Special Use Permit for a Commercial Solar Energy Facility. The proposed site was located near 300th Ave and 1275th Street in rural Mason. The application was originally filed with the county on April 23, 2026.
As a result, the Solar Special Use Application Public Hearing scheduled for July 15, 2026 at 5 p.m. is canceled; furthermore, the Special Use Permit application is no longer under consideration by the Effingham County Board and will not move forward.
Effingham County residents packed the first part of the public hearing on the project, which lasted five hours and generated a plethora of information, questions and testimony. Over 50 concerns were raised by the public, including the lack of plan for the endangered species in the area, damage to the roads, flooding and the increased temperatures to the surrounding area. Some residents highlighted abundant discrepancies in Nexamp’s presentation and the application that was submitted to the county.