Preliminary Decommissioning Plan and Cost Evaluation
Crossroads Solar Grazing Center
Morrow County, Ohio
Prepared for:
Crossroads Solar I, LLC
1105 Navasota Street Austin, Texas 78702
Prepared by:
Verdantas LLC
6397 Emerald Parkway, Suite 200 Dublin, OH 43055
Verdantas Project No: 17078
July 2025
1. Executive Summary
1.1 Introduction
Verdantas LLC (Verdantas) was retained by Crossroads Solar I, LLC (Crossroads) to prepare the Crossroads Solar Grazing Center Preliminary Decommissioning Plan (“Plan”). The Crossroads Solar Grazing Center (“Project”) is a combined utility-scale solar electric generation and sheep grazing facility of up to 94 megawatts AC (MWAC) located in Cardington, Westfield, and Lincoln Townships, Morrow County, Ohio (collectively, the “Facility”). The Facility will consist of large arrays of ground-mounted solar panel modules, metal racking system and support piles, underground electric collection lines, inverters, transformers, a substation, pyranometers, an operation & maintenance (O&M) building with a supervisory control and data acquisition (“SCADA”) system, and associated access roads. The area in which the Facility could be constructed and operated is approximately 726 acres (the “Project Area”), although the maximum area with any surface structures will be 559 acres. The preliminary maximum site plan used to prepare this Decommissioning Plan and cost estimate is included on the project’s Application.
Crossroads plans to develop the Facility with an interconnection limit of 94 MWAC For the purpose of this decommissioning cost evaluation, Verdantas has evaluated the Facility based on the design information provided by Crossroads Any changes to the specific number of modules utilized or other minor Facility changes during or after construction are not expected to change the overall conclusions of, or decommissioning methods described in this Plan; however, there may be minor changes to the cost estimate included as Appendix A, which are expected to be encapsulated within the final decommissioning plan and the 5-year post construction updates to the Plan with the financial assurance revised accordingly as described in Section 5.0. The purpose of the decommissioning cost evaluation is to make a recommendation to Crossroads regarding the total cost to retire the Facility at the end of its useful life and to ensure that adequate funds are available to decommission the Facility.
This Plan, including the decommissioning cost evaluation, will be updated once final design is completed prior to construction and every 5 years from the commencement of construction or whenever a significant change of the Facility occurs.
1.2 Results
Crossroads estimates that the Facility should have an expected useful life of approximately 40 years. When Crossroads determines that the Facility should be retired, this plan will be used for the decommissioning effort. This Plan covers the steps needed to return the Project Area to conditions consistent with those prior to construction of the Facility, which includes retirement of the power generating equipment as well as the balance of plant (BOP) facilities. All equipment, structures and supporting components are expected to be removed off-site, with the exception of the underground components (i.e., cabling and foundations) which will be removed to three feet below grade, unless deeper removal is needed for maintenance or repair of field tile systems. In addition, some Facility components such as access roads, fencing and landscaping may be left in place if the landowner elects to do so.
The decommissioning costs are based on the following general assumptions:
• The access roads and the substation surface are expected to be restored to conditions similar to those prior to construction of the Facility. Depending on plans for postdecommissioning use of the Project Area, the landowners may choose to retain certain
roads for use following decommissioning. This determination will be made prior to commencement of decommissioning.
• Surface water drainage is expected to be reestablished to the general overall flow conditions prior to construction of the Facility.
• When the equipment, access roads and foundations are removed and the ground surface restored, final grading is expected to be consistent with agricultural use.
• The site is proposed to be a dual-purpose facility, primarily sheep grazing alongside solar energy production. Crossroads will coordinate with the shepherd and landowners to ensure that all agricultural land use items, such as livestock, are temporarily relocated as necessary during the decommission activities.
• Access road stream crossings are expected to be left in place for use by the landowner.
• During construction, all wetlands not permitted to be impacted will be avoided, and decommissioning activities will also avoid all wetlands not permitted to be impacted. Decommissioning activities are not expected below a depth of three feet. Therefore, there are no anticipated impacts to surface or groundwater resources and wetlands. If information becomes available later that would suggest that these resources would be affected, it will be addressed in the five-year update to this plan.
• All decommissioning work is expected to be conducted under applicable permits and approval as generally outlined within Section 6.0 below.
• This Plan establishes the estimated costs to decommission the Facility without consideration of salvage values. Salvage values are provided separately for informational purposes only and will not be used in determining the amount of the decommissioning bond.
• Decommissioning activities are expected to be completed within 12 months after the end of the useful life of the Facility. The complete decommissioning effort is estimated to take up to 18 months, including up to 12 months for equipment removal and up to an additional 6 months for seasonal restoration and revegetation activities. The decommissioning is expected to occur in one continuous decommissioning event.
The estimated decommissioning costs for the Project are presented in Appendix A.
2. Project Description
2.1 Project Introduction
The Project is planned to consist of large arrays of ground-mounted solar panel modules, metal racking system and support piles, underground electric collection lines, inverters, transformers, a substation, pyranometers, an operation & maintenance (O&M) building with a SCADA system, and associated access roads. The Facility location is in Cardington, Westfield, and Lincoln Townships, Morrow County, Ohio. The Facility is located within the Project Area that includes approximately 726 acres with the maximum area with any surface structures being 559 acres The “Project Site” (or the “Site”) includes the 559-acre maximum surface equipment area plus corridors in which buried collection cables are installed The preliminary maximum site plan used to develop this Decommissioning Plan and cost estimate is provided separately in the project’s Application.
The preliminary equipment and material information in the following sections, provided by Crossroads, was used in developing the cost evaluation detailed in Appendix A
2.2 Solar Module Units
For the purposes of this Plan, the following components are assumed:
Solar Modules: Approximately 177,800 QCELLS, model Q.PEAK DUO ML-G12S.3/BFG, or similar modules, each with a wattage rating of 690 watts.
Racking System: GameChange Tracker 1P model or similar racking is planned to be used
Racking Piles: Estimated 27,970 piles made of hot-dip galvanized (HDG) steel, or similar piles.
2.3 Underground Electric Collection Cables, Inverters and Transformers
Solar panels are grouped into a series of circuits routing through cable trays on the racking to combiner boxes. Power from the combiner boxes is then transmitted to DC-to-AC inverters, step up transformers and cabinets containing power control electronics. Cables used for transferring electrical power are located underground and aboveground. The electrical conversion equipment is typically mounted on a field fabricated foundation. AC power is delivered through collection lines to the substation.
Collection Lines: Approximately 41,000 linear feet of buried AC collection lines.
Inverter/Transformers: For power conversion, the system will use approximately 28 inverters manufactured by Power Electronics, model FS4200M, or similar
2.4 Substation and Interconnection Transmission Line
The electrical power from the inverters is routed to a central electrical substation (the Collector Substation). The major components of the Collector Substation are collection line feeders and breakers, electrical bus, main power transformer, high voltage breaker, metering/relaying transformers, disconnect switches, enclosure containing power control electronics, and a lightning
mast. The Collector Substation is expected to be constructed on a combination of gravel and concrete foundations and surrounded by a perimeter fence.
Limited information is available at this stage of facility design. The Facility is currently estimated to have 1 main power transformer and 6 circuit breakers. Until more specific information becomes available, a representative substation project cost was used in Appendix A.
2.5 Access Roads & Fencing
Each solar field has an access road used to support construction and allow for vehicle access to facilitate operations, maintenance, repair and replacement of equipment in addition to providing access for emergency response.
Access Roads: Estimated 35,365 linear feet of access roads, each 16 feet wide and constructed from gravel or crushed rock to support construction and maintenance vehicles.
Fencing: Approximately 59,331 linear feet of security fencing is expected to be installed. This fencing is expected to consist of a wildlife-friendly fence that complies with the National Electric Code. At the access roads, 8 to 12 gates are expected to be incorporated for operational access.
The Collector Substation is expected to be enclosed by 800 linear feet of chain link security fencing that complies with the National Electric Code.
2.6 Solar Meteorological Stations and Operation & Maintenance (O&M) Building with Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (“SCADA”) System
Meteorological Stations: Estimated 5 to 7 meteorological stations, each equipped with devices such as pyranometers, anemometers, barometers, rain gauges, and temperature probes, along with associated communication equipment. Stations are expected to be installed on prefabricated foundations and to stand up to 15 feet tall.
O&M Building and SCADA System: An O&M building is expected to be constructed for equipment storage, a control room, offices, parking, and to house the SCADA equipment used to monitor and operate the Facility. The structure is expected to have electrical service and may have water service and a septic field. No sewer service is anticipated. The O&M building footprint is expected to be approximately 4,000 square feet. The SCADA system is expected to connect to sensors at each inverter, meteorological station, and within the solar array via buried fiber optic cables colocated with the medium voltage collection lines.
3. Decommissioning Plan
The Facility is expected to have a useful life of approximately 40 years. Upon the retirement of the Facility, decommissioning and restoration of the entire Facility will be performed and managed by qualified contractors who have demonstrated relevant experience. The selected contractor will secure all the required permits, schedule the planned activities, and work with waste management firms to segregate materials that can be reused and recycled from those that must be properly disposed of at licensed disposal facilities that operate in accordance with current applicable federal, state and local laws, rules, regulations and ordinances. Advance notification of decommissioning is expected to be provided to all stakeholders, including landowners, and other relevant agencies prior to any scheduling of decommissioning activities. During decommissioning activities, coordination with the County Engineer is expected to be completed to ensure provisions are in place for repair of public roads that are damaged or modified during the decommissioning process, including financial assurance to the county.
During decommissioning and restoration activities, applicable environmental protection measures as specified by applicable permits are expected to be obtained prior to the work. Activities during decommissioning are expected to be comparable to the construction phase, including the use of heavy equipment onsite, preparing staging areas, and restoring areas that were disturbed during work activities. Best management practices regarding erosion and sedimentation controls are expected to be implemented, as well as dust and noise mitigation controls (e.g., time of day restrictions for construction activities). Additionally, contingency plans are expected to be in place for unforeseen conditions and spills. A project specific Health & Safety Plan (HASP) will be prepared by the respective contractors and be available onsite. The HASP shall comply with the equipment manufacturers’ most current safety manual, unless such safety manual conflicts with paragraph (C)(2) of rule 4906-4-08 of the Ohio Administrative Code.
Additionally, it is recommended that contractors maximize the salvage value for the overall project and all recyclable materials, salvaged or non-salvaged, should be recycled to the extent practicable. However, as noted previously, salvage values are not included in the attached cost evaluation.
A description of the individual Facility components and the proposed plan for decommissioning these components is provided in the following sections. The Facility will be deenergized and isolated from all external electrical lines in coordination with the appropriate utility prior to commencing equipment removal.
3.1 Solar Module Units
All modules are expected to be disconnected, removed from the racking, carefully packaged and transported to a designated location for resale, recycling or disposal. The connecting cables and combiner boxes are expected to be disconnected and removed. The steel racking system supporting the solar modules is expected to be unbolted and disassembled by laborers using standard hand tools and possibly assisted by mechanical equipment. All steel support structures are expected to be completely removed by mechanical equipment and transported offsite for salvage or reuse. Any demolition debris that is not salvageable is expected to be transported offsite to licensed disposal facilities, operating in accordance with current applicable federal, state and local laws, rules, regulations and ordinances. Vehicles used for transport are expected to be legal weight and dimensions. All piles are expected to be removed by the pull-out method from the Site, and if sections of piles detach during this operation, sections will be removed if they are
within 3 feet of the existing ground surface, unless deeper removal is needed for maintenance or repair of field tile systems
Perimeter fencing, posts, and gates around the array areas are expected to be dismantled and removed
3.2 Underground Electric Connection Cables, Inverters and Transformers
Decommissioning is expected to require dismantling and removal of electrical equipment, including above ground cables, inverters and transformers. Buried collection cables more than 3 feet below grade are not expected to be removed, unless such removal is needed for maintenance or repair of field tile systems. All electrical equipment is expected to be removed from the Facility and transported offsite for recycling or disposal. Concrete foundations and support pads are expected to be broken up by mechanical equipment and removed from the Site for recycling or disposal. Vehicles used for transport are expected to be legal weight and dimensions, with the exception of some larger electrical equipment that may require special hauling permits. Prior to removal of the transformers, any oil is expected to be pumped out into a separate industryapproved disposal container and sealed to prevent any spillage during storage and/or transportation. Oils are expected to be recycled and reused; otherwise, the oil is expected to be disposed of at a licensed disposal facility.
3.3 Substation and Interconnection Transmission Line
The equipment and foundations in the Collector Substation and surrounding fencing are expected to be removed from the site and recycled or reused. All underground cabling below a depth of three feet is expected to be left in place, unless deeper removal is needed for maintenance or repair of field tile systems. The Facility owner will contact the applicable regional transmission organization and interconnection utility prior to decommissioning to manage/coordinate efforts to ensure no disruption to the electrical grid. The point of interconnect (POI) switching station will be owned by the utility and is not part of this Plan.
3.4 Access Roads
For purposes of this Plan, it is assumed that all access roads will be removed as part of the decommissioning of the Facility. This is expected to include removal of the aggregate surface, geotextile materials and any modified subgrade material. Areas where aggregate surfacing has been removed is expected to be de-compacted, filled with controlled fill as needed and topsoil respread. The decommissioned areas, inclusive of the access roads, are expected to be graded to contours consistent with pre-construction topography to ensure suitable surface drainage and restore drainage patterns. The aggregate is expected to be removed from the Site and reused or properly disposed of. Participating landowners may choose to retain roads for their own use following decommissioning, so prior to decommissioning activities landowners will be directly contacted and their intentions will be properly documented.
3.5
Solar Meteorological Stations
and Operation & Maintenance (O&M) Building with Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (“SCADA”) System
The equipment and foundations for the Solar Meteorological Stations are expected to be removed by the demolition contractor for recycling or disposal.
The structure, equipment, buried fiber optic line, and foundations of the O&M building are expected to be removed by the demolition contractor for recycling or disposal. All underground fiber optic cables below a depth of three feet are expected to be left in place, unless deeper removal is needed for maintenance or repair of field tile systems.
4. Site Reclamation
Once the removal of all equipment and site demolition is complete, site reclamation activities are expected to commence. Agricultural areas are expected to be restored to conditions prior to Site disturbance and in accordance with the OPSB-approved Vegetation and Agricultural Soils Management Plans. Areas where access roads, inverters, and the Collector Substation are decommissioned are expected to be de-compacted prior to replacing topsoil and preparing the seed bed. Decompaction can be performed with a disk for shallow compaction or a winged subsoiler or straight ripper shank for areas that may have been compacted to deeper depths. The decommissioned areas, inclusive of the access roads, are expected to be final graded consistent with agricultural use to ensure suitable surface drainage and drainage patterns.
During the operation of the Facility, the ground under all the solar array areas will be vegetated and decommissioning activities are expected to cause minimal surface disturbance to these areas. Because there is expected to be a healthy stand of vegetation prior to decommissioning activities, it is assumed 40 percent of the area under the arrays will not require reclamation. Therefore, for cost estimating purposes, it is assumed that 60 percent of the array areas will require reclamation activities such as decompaction, minimal grading, and seed and mulch. The Site will be monitored for one year after completion of decommissioning activities to ensure successful revegetation and restoration activities.
Any agricultural drainage tiles impacted during the decommissioning activities affecting nonparticipating property are expected to be repaired Any agricultural drain tile impacted during construction and operation of the Facility (that have not affected non-participating property and were not previously repaired) may be repaired to function consistent with conditions prior to construction of the Project. Tile installation or repairs are expected to be performed, to the extent practical, as described in the project’s Application in response to OAC 4906-4-08(2) and (3) Additional refences cited in this report are as follows:
USDA, Soil Conservation Service. National Engineering Handbook, Section 16, Drainage of Agricultural Land. Latest Edition, USDA, NRCS. Part 650 Engineering, Field Handbook, Chapter 14, Water Management (Drainage). Latest Edition.
USDA, NRCS - Ohio. Construction Specification OH-9, Subsurface Drain Investigation, Removal, and Repair. Latest Edition.
USDA, NRCS - Ohio. Conservation Practice Standard 606, Subsurface Drain. Latest Edition.
1 Ohio Department of Natural Resources. 2006.
URL: https://epa.ohio.gov/divisions-and-offices/surface-water/guides-manuals/rainwater-and-land-development
2 Ohio Department of Transportation. 2009 Edition.
URL: https://www.transportation.ohio.gov/working/data-tools/resources/historicalcostdata
3 ASTM F449-02. 2008.
URL: https://www.astm.org/f0449-02r14.htlm
4 Natural Resources Conservation Service. 2017.
URL: https://directives.nrcs.usda.gov/sites/default/files2/1712931456/7920.pdf
5. Decommissioning Costs
Based on the results of this evaluation, the estimated decommissioning cost for the Facility is provided in Appendix A.
Crossroads will provide financial assurance to ensure that funds are available to decommission the Facility and restore the land consistently with pre-construction conditions. Prior to the commencement of construction, Crossroads will provide performance bonding for the estimated total decommissioning cost (without reductions for salvage value of Facility materials) which lists Crossroads as the principle, the insurance company as the surety and the Ohio Power Sitting Board as the obligee Salvage values are provided separately for informational purposes only and will not be used in determining the amount of the decommissioning bond. The cost estimate will be updated by an engineer licensed in the State of Ohio prior to construction and every 5 years following the commencement of construction of the Facility. As part of the updates, the bond amount will be adjusted, if necessary. If the cost is lower, the bond amount will remain the same.
6. Decommissioning Schedule and Permits
Decommissioning is expected to be completed within 12 months of the end of the useful life of the Facility. Decommissioning and reclamation is estimated to take up to 18 months, including up to 12 months for equipment removal and up to an additional 6 months for seasonal restoration and revegetation activities.
The estimated schedule includes multiple demolition and restoration crews to restore all areas to a condition prior to being developed At the time of decommissioning, essentially all of the land being used by the Facility was previously used for agricultural purposes (both prior to construction and during operation) The intent of decommissioning and reclamation is to prepare the site for the potential return to agricultural use, with the specific land use to be at the discretion of the landowner.
The structure demolition and the restoration crew is expected to consist of the following personnel per crew:
Structure Demolition Crew:
• machine operators;
• laborers;
• multiple truck operators for hauling; and
• general Superintendent.
Restoration crew:
• machine operators;
• laborers; and
• Multiple truck operators for hauling.
At aminimum, thefollowing permits, plans, and/orapprovals will likely be required prior to initiating demolition activities:
• Health & Safety Plan Development;
• Demolition Permit;
• Road Use and Maintenance Agreement (RUMA);
• Waste Disposal Plan;
• NPDES General Permit for Storm Water Discharges Associated with Construction Activities and a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP); and
• Air Monitoring (Dust) Plan/Equipment Mobilization.
While the above list is intended to cover the major permits and approvals that will likely be required, local requirements and changes in regulatory requirements over time may require additional site-specific permits and/or approvals that may not be listed above. A detailed study is recommended as part of the normal pre-demolition planning activities to confirm the exact permitting requirements that may be needed to execute the work.
7. Decommissioning Cost Assumptions
In addition to the project scope understandings and assumptions described in Sections 1.2, 3 and 4, the following general assumptions were made as the basis for the cost estimates:
1. The cost estimate is based on the preliminary design information provided by Crossroads at the time of preparation of this plan and a 10% contingency has been included.
2. The cost estimate is based upon typical industry and market conditions as of the date of this estimate without consideration of salvage values. Natural disasters, homeland security escalation, inflation, financing, and other unforeseen circumstances can cause sudden increases in material and labor costs.
3. Salvage value is not considered. Salvage values are provided separately for informational purposes only and will not be used in determining the amount of the decommissioning bond.
4. It is recognized that neither Verdantas LLC nor Crossroads has control over the cost of labor, materials or equipment, or over the contractor’s methods of determining bid prices and competitive bidding or negotiating conditions.
5. The costs were based on standard work and does not include premiums for work required to be completed during off hours or weekends.
6. The estimate does not include contractor standby time.
7. The estimate assumes that contractors will have full access to all work areas at the scheduled time of work and does not include delays associated with gaining access.
8. No hazardous construction material abatement is required.
9. Cleanup of contaminated soils, hazardous materials, or other conditions present on-site having a negative environmental impact are not anticipated; therefore, no environmental cleanup costs have been included.
10. During decommissioning efforts, damage to public roads is not anticipated due to expected compliance with legal load limits (weight, size) and any required special hauling permits. However, select road base-repairs and condition surveying cost estimates were included.
8. Standard of Care and Limitations
Verdantas has performed its services using that degree of care and skill ordinarily exercised under similar conditions by reputable members of its profession practicing in the same or similar locality at the time of service. No other warranty, express or implied, is made or intended by our oral or written reports. The work did not attempt to evaluate past or present compliance with federal, state, or local environmental laws or regulations. Verdantas makes no guarantees regarding the completeness or accuracy of any information obtained from public or private files or information provided by subcontractors.
Appendix A
Decommissioning Cost Evaluation
Crossroads Solar Grazing Center
Morrow County, Ohio
Decommissioning Cost Evaluation TABLE 1
* Direct Current (DC) 120 MW
Crossroads Solar Grazing Center
Morrow County, Ohio
Decommissioning Salvage Value Evaluation
TABLE 2
* Direct Current (DC) 120 MW