Commissioners deny Solar Farm Request from EnergyRe

Putnam County Commissioner Tom Helmer was the deciding factor on whether a 2,000 acre solar farm would be built in the southern part of Cloverdale.

On Monday evening, the community building on the grounds of the Putnam County 4-H Fairgrounds was the site for the decision by the Putnam County Commissioners as they decided on whether to approve or deny the proposed solar project on the Mann Property that was being requested by Paul Cummings and EnergyRe.

Commissioner Andy Beck, who voted no at the Plan Commission meeting back on Sept. 11, stuck to his guns and voted against. Commissioner President Rick Woodall voted in favor of the Solar Project, leaving Helmer to be the deciding vote.

With the tension so thick inside the building, Helmer took the microphone and said “You guys really changed my mind tonight. Since Cloverdale is my district, I am going to vote no.”

That of course was followed by thunderous applause and cheers from the audience and shouts of “I know I could count on you, Tom.” After the chaos had settled, Helmer spoke with the Banner Graphic and elaborated on his decision to vote against.

“I did have my mind changed, that’s true,” Helmer said. “First of all, the Mann family is a terrific family and I do think that we need to progress here in Putnam County. I don’t want the state eventually coming in and [telling] us what we have to do. There were just some things that were brought up tonight, like the Gaston families home being surrounded on all four sides, that’s just not right.

“These districts that will be impacted are my districts that I represent. If EnergyRe wanted to take it down to maybe 1,000 acres, but 2,000 is just a ton of farmland. What both ladies had to say tonight about the court cases and I don’t think EnergyRe was ready to answer some of those tough questions.”

The two ladies that Helmer was talking about were Attorney Laureen White and Real Estate experts Denise Spooner. Attorney Eddie Felling also spoke to represent those apposed against the Solar Project.

A question that Woodall proposed to every speaker was: “If the commissioners do not vote in your favor, will you sue the county?”

Spooner noted that they would file judicial review if they didn’t find the commissioners result fair, while Felling gave a more blunt and direct response. “Hell yes we would,” Felling said.

When Cummings took the podium to begin the meeting, he did state that instead of the original 2,631 acres of land, they trimmed 500 acres off and were now asking for 2,133 acres. Along with the acreage being reduced, Cummings also continued to let the commissioners know that there will be a 250 foot setback from the resident’s property, both a wildlife and wellhead study and a road use agreement before the project begins.

Something that was new compared to the Sept. 11 meeting was that Cummings stated that EnergyRe would also create a Solar Dividend Program. The program would give homeowners annual payments of $2,000 if their homes were within 500 feet of the solar farm, $1,000 for those who lived more than 500 feet to a quarter-mile and, lastly, $500 for anyone who lived a quarter-mile to a half-mile away.

“The Putnam County Comprehensive Plan calls for supporting renewable energy while also supporting agriculture, and this plan does that,” Cummings said in his final remarks to the commissioners. “With us committing $2.4 million over the course of 30 years, this is one of the largest investments in Putnam County’s history.”

Beck wasn’t sold on what Cummings was proposing.

“I don’t think the numbers for EnergyRe are accurate at all when it comes to property value,” he said. “You also said the minimum you’d be committing is $50,000 a year toward the county: that number is very far off from $2.4 million. The big thing is our farmland, is our economic future. I don’t want to be the shortfall for that. Also I don’t want to go against what our Plan Commission recommended.”

Plan Commission Director Lisa Zeiner did make a note to the audience that even though the request was ultimately denied by the commissioners, that EnergyRe could in fact re-petition within a year’s time or also significantly reduce the acreage and come back in three to six months.

For now, the majority of Putnam County residents got their wish, and for the second time in two years, a solar farm has been denied.