Drive on U.S. 77 in southern Lancaster County and you’ll see acres of short, dark columns – the foundation of what will be the largest solar farm in the state, according to the state of Nebraska.
The 304-megawatt Panama Energy Center just east of Hallam is expected to generate $1.4 million in local tax revenue annually. It will be a total of 2,400 acres and is being built in two phases.
Christa Yoakum, chair of the Lancaster County Board of Commissioners, said NextEra, the company behind the project, is taking steps to protect the surrounding area.
“We put some conditions on it as far as road use and what kind of plantings happen on the ground to prevent soil erosion, so they’re complying with the contingencies that we put on it,” she said.
Yoakum added that Lancaster County is monitoring what the state may impose for caps on what the county can charge for property taxes.
“The reality is we don’t want to put more burden on taxpayers,” she said. “And so, if we can diversify some of those revenues in ways like this, it’s really helpful.”
Despite NextEra officials saying the project will provide 250-300 construction jobs, some neighbors are raising concerns.
The project was challenged in the appellate court in December 2025. District Court Judge Julie Smith determined the solar farm was compatible with existing agricultural land uses and would not change the character of the neighborhood.
The plaintiffs appealed to the Nebraska Court of Appeals in mid-March. That appeal is still pending.