Packed courtroom observes public hearing for Friendsville solar project
MT. CARMEL — The courtroom was filled Monday with Wabash County citizens weighing in at a public hearing regarding the Friendsville solar project application.
RWE Clean Energy’s Projects Development Manager Mark Desmond and Senior Development Manager Matthew Spaccapaniccia presented information about the project.
Spaccapaniccia said the proposed 425 megawatt solar farm would produce enough power for 68,000 homes annually from the 5,980 acres of property (75% of it on reclaimed mine land). Setbacks and fencing account for half of the acreage, with the actual solar arrays placed on less than 3,000 acres.
The project would span from Friendsville, to Mount Carmel and to the Prairie Lick precincts. If approved, construction would not begin until the fourth quarter of next 2026, with electricity being put on the grid by the fourth quarter of 2028.
Spaccapaniccia said that the project would bring around 300 construction jobs and four full-time positions once it is completed. He also said that it will bring in $71 million in taxes over the project’s 40-year lifespan.
“That’s $1.7 million per year that would go to Wabash County,” he said, estimating Wabash County government would receive $14.6 million over the life of the project, District 348 schools would receive $39.6 million, Wabash General Hospital would receive $1.8 million, Wabash County Museum would receive $150,000, Wabash Valley College would receive $4.6 million, plus other taxing entities would see increased revenue over the life of the project.
Desmond discussed the solar technology, explaining the solar panels are mounted on a single access tracker system that will rotate with the sun throughout the day.
He said the panels would be 12 feet maximum height. One of the four full-time employees would plant native grasses and pollinators under the panels to maintain soil quality and ensure that erosion does not occur over the course of the project.
Desmond said the project would be enclosed by a six foot fence throughout its perimeter, and landscape screens planted in certain areas as a buffer for local residences and busy road views from the project.
RWE plans to interconnect into existing Ameren facilities on the south side of the project.
Desmond said that RWE would clear about 2.1 acres of trees for the project, and reported there are very minimal water requirements in order to keep the project operating. He said that the amount of rainfall the area normally gets will be enough to clean the panels.
The project’s four permanent employees would monitor and maintain the site 24/7.
A decommissioning study is also part of the application to the board. “This study will be renewed every five years to maintain compliance, and then we also are providing a decomissioning bond that will be maintained and re-upped every 10 years over the course of the project,” Desmond said.
Wabash County Commissioners opened the floor to public comments, with discussion on the topic continuing for more than an hour.
The County Commissioners were scheduled to vote on the project following the meeting, but due to the overwhelming response, at the hearing, members decided to table the discussion to gather more information. They will address it if they have the information at the next meeting on Monday.