Special use permit denied for solar project | Local News | wspynews.com - WspyNews
Special use permit denied for solar project | Local News | wspynews.com
The DeKalb County Board voted down an ordinance approving a special use permit for an 88-acre 5-megawatt solar garden in Squaw Grove township just south of Hinckley.
Three DeKalb County citizens spoke out against the ordinance during the public comment portion of this week’s DeKalb County Board meeting. The issue centered on the impact of a solar garden on drain tiles, the upkeep of tiles, and how the garden would affect tiles in neighboring fields. Alan Bark owns land within 400 yards of the proposed garden.
Last month, (Aug. 23rd) the DeKalb County Planning and Zoning Development Committee voted 3 in favor and 3 opposed on the ordinance. In DeKalb County, a tie advances to the county board. Hamilton Carrier is the project developer for Ironwood Renewables. He said the developer made changes to the original plan to allow for drain tile access, maintenance and future drainage pipes.
County board members rejected the ordinance by a margin of 13 to 8.
Related Knowledge Center: ENERGY BASICS: solar
Declining costs and government encouragement have resulted in a rapid increase in solar energy production in the United States over the past 10 years, although solar’s share remains small: 1.6 percent of all electricity generation in 2018. That rapid growth is projected to continue.