A new plan for a proposed clean energy park in the Poinciana area, which has changed multiple times after local residents raised concerns about the land being used and the energy operations based there, has been approved, this time at a different site.
Osceola County leaders Monday approved an agreement with Panacea Global Energy to relocate the project from a Mac Overstreet site off Pleasant Hill Road to one adjacent to the Poinciana SunRail station. Panacea’s plans call for a clean energy technology park with research and development facilities, renewable energy facilities and a company headquarters.
Under the agreement, Panacea, the U.S. entity of France-based CMG Clean Tech, will buy the 63-acre site from the county for $5.3 million, or $85,000 per acre, paid over time in phases. The initial purchase is for 10 acres.
The project is anticipated to bring 1,200 high-wage jobs into the county, and Monday’s approved deal provides Panacea with job creation incentives and tax refunds – including 100% ad valorem tax refunds for five years and $3,000 for each job created with a salary of over $63,000, or 115% of the county’s average wage.
But the deal also includes measures forcing Panacea to provide documentation demonstrating its financial capability to fund and develop each parcel, and submit its design plans for each phase. When the company closes on a parcel’s purchase, it will have six months to commence construction on that phase.
Panacea Global Energy CEO John Darling, a central figure in the lifespan of this process that started in March 2023, called the agreement, “A pivotal step in establishing a leading US renewable energy hub.”
“Osceola's talent pool, collaborative business environment, and sustained growth make it an ideal home for our new headquarters and cutting-edge clean technology center,” he said. Beyond creating a world-leading technology center, our mission is to cultivate the next generation of renewable energy pioneers. By focusing on manufacturing, innovation, research, and development, we aim to spearhead the renewable energy revolution in this vibrant region.”
When the county started looking into the project, originally called Green Garden Village, in March 2023, it met with immediate resistance from those living near the Mac Overstreet tract. Many vehemently opposed the potential dangers of proposed hydrogen and lithium-ion manufacturing operations, while others focused on that the land had been earmarked for a regional park that had been a part of the county’s comprehensive master plan since 2005.
That opposition was voiced at County Commission meetings and sign-waving protests along Pleasant Hill Road, and by June CMG Clean Tech canceled the hydrogen production operation plans, “After very carefully considering the opposition and protests from the local community.” But residents were still concerned the facility would replace the planned park and they created a website, NoFactoryZone.com, and the No Factory Zone on Toho Facebook page.
By September, CMG Clean Tech shifted its focus to the SunRail-adjacent land, where a new K-8 school, tentatively called Knightsbridge, is under construction just to the north, and affordable housing is also planned in the area.
At Monday’s meeting, Jan Cornish, a resident of Bellalago near the Mac Overstreet area, thanked Darling and CMG Clean Tech for choosing the SunRail location.
“We’re very compassionate about our park, we really didn’t want to see it industrialized. We think it’s a natural beauty,” she said. “We’re hoping we can have the help of the Commission to be able to get our regional park and have a nice place in District 3.”
Another local resident, Debbie Rambis, who’s been a major part of the voice of concern against the project, said the move just places the concern for others elsewhere.
“The same concerns can be said about the new site,” she said, noting the affordable housing units that will be close to it. “Now it’s being placed near people who need assistance. If you need affordable housing, you go where it is, there aren’t really many choices. Of course, we don’t want it where the park should go, but it shouldn’t go near where people live; there’s plenty of open space around NeoCity. This is hard to celebrate.”
Fellow local resident Eric Montgomery opposed the incentive-laden agreement.
“I’m philosophically opposed to government incentives to corporations,” he said. “It hurts the taxpayer in the long run, and the promises never seem to match the sales pitch. I’m disappointed in the lack of opportunities for public comment on this project.”
Commissioner Ricky Booth said he’s also “philosophically opposed” to the incentives.
“But I can tell you, if we stick our head in the sand, somebody else is going to do it. But we want to get these high-wage jobs into a community where we need some employment centers.”
District 3 Commissioner Brandon Arrington said that, “The process worked.”
“We can’t provide a lot of information when we’re in (negotiation) periods, but we came to a great outcome, that’s going to hold the company accountable and hopefully bring 1,200 jobs at a higher (salary) than most of our average jobs. And I want to thank staff for looking at an optional site that's a much better location for this opportunity that was originally proposed, a location that will serve an industrial opportunity and be a better employment center for District 3.
“We all know the only way we’re going to fix the issue of our traffic is to create more opportunities that shorten trips.”
