First it was the Cadiz power plant. Then it was windmills. Wednesday afternoon, the bright lights of local scrutiny focused on another energy source – solar.
A group of concerned citizens met with Henry County Commissioners during a work session Thursday to discuss the best ways of handling solar energy development requests.
The group, consisting of Bobbi Plummer, Patsy Conyers, Rosalind and Dan Richey, Judy Walker and Melissa Elmore, pleaded with Commissioners to allow them a seat at the table when the ordinance is written.
“You have two proven ordinance writers on this committee, two that you know can do this job,” Conyers said. “You have a group of people who have the intelligence and the knowledge to research. And ultimately the information comes back to you. I don’t see a problem. Do you?” Conyers said.
“I welcome your input but there is a procedure to follow,” Commissioner Kim Cronk said.
While emphasizing they were not necessarily against solar development here, the group suggested a moratorium on future projects might be appropriate.
“That’s always the perception people have of us, that we’re anti-something,” said Plummer, who has already announced her candidacy for County Commissioner in the 2020 election. “But I don’t think anybody here is anti-solar or pro-solar. We just want to protect the county.”
“We need time,” Judy Walker said. “We need to do our due diligence.”
Commissioner Ed Tarantino said he, too, favored a moratorium on any future solar project.
“I personally would be in favor of a moratorium,” Tarantino said. “I’m not sure how long it has to be, but long enough for an ordinance to be in place.”
“Because tomorrow we could have 15 solar companies in here getting permits,” Walker agreed.
“People could file a CAU tomorrow and it would go to the planning commission and the planning commission wouldn’t have an ordinance to look at,” Tarantino said. “I think it’s only practical.”
But Commissioner Ed Yanos disagreed with the idea of a moratorium.
“That’s just an easy way out instead of actively working on a solution,” Yanos said.
Some solar farms are already here. Cronk said the first one was built here in 2018.
Richey objected to them being categorized as “farms.”
“Let’s not refer to these as farms, they’re fields or facilities,” Richey said.
The group is concerned future solar development – if not regulated carefully – could affect wildlife, literally eat up valuable food-producing land and create reflections that would be dangerous for pilots during take-offs and landings, among other issues.
“It doesn’t consider the needs of all the citizens if you don’t include us on a committee for input,” Conyers said.
Henry County Zoning Administrator Darrin Jacobs said the only company he had talked to recently about solar projects involved residential homeowners only – and that was just a preliminary discussion. Other than the existing I-70 and Spiceland solar projects already in place, he knew of no plans by anyone else.
“No one has contacted my office other than the ones we already have,” Jacobs said.
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